Wednesday, Feb. 3 - Tuesday, Feb. 9 Weekly Digital Edition
Vol. 107, Issue 13 www.thedailyaztec.com
San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913
SDSU approved to administer SDSU students face suspension after failing COVID-19 vaccine by
to report positive COVID-19 results
Brenden Tuccinardi
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Eligible San Diego State students, faculty and staff won’t have to go very far to get vaccinated for COVID-19. In a University Senate meeting on Tuesday, SDSU President Adela de la Torre announced that the university received approval from the state of California and San Diego County to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to the campus community. “We have lost too many lives and too many have become ill due to this virus,” de la Torre said. “Getting vaccinated when your time
by
Catlan Nguyen
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR
File photo
comes will help keep you, your gamily and your community healthy and safe.” Student Health Services received 300 doses of the Moderna vaccine and will begin opening up appointments to eligible faculty, staff and students in the
coming days. The university has already submitted requests for additional doses. Vaccine eligibility at SDSU will mirror San Diego County’s phases, Student Health Services Director see
VACCINE page 2
More than 1,400 San Diego State students began receiving possible violation notices during finals season in late-November to mid-December for failure to report COVID-19 symptoms or positive COVID-19 tests. “The vast majority of the 1,438 notices of possible organization or individual violation is a result of complaints filed by either another student, commu-
nity member or faculty member alleging that the individual was in violation of COVID-19 policies,” the university said in an email. The notices informed students they may face different levels of disciplinary actions from SDSU up to suspension or even expulsion. Students facing suspension have the option to agree to a settlement choice within 10 days of receiving an email notice or see
SUSPENSION page 2
Remembering Challenger shuttle disaster 35 years later by
Trinity Bland
OPINION EDITOR
The 1980s were an unforgettably unique era. The music, the fashion, the sports rivalries, the movies and television shows all defined the decade. However, for every good thing the 80s brought, there were twice as many unfortunate disasters that came too. On Jan. 28, 1986, the Challenger space shuttle exploded only 73 seconds after its launch. On board were astronauts Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnik, Michael Smith, Francis (Dick) Scobee, Ronald McNair and most notably, school teacher Christa McAuliffe. They were all killed when the shuttle broke apart in midair over the Atlantic Ocean, turning a historic event into a national nightmare. June Scobee Rodgers, the widow of Scobee, told TODAY, “The media froze our grief in newspapers and TV
clips. It was so unbearable.” Scobee Rodgers knew that space travel came with risks. “We talked about those risks, and he was willing to take those risks,” she said. When McAuliffe was a finalist for the NASA program she told then radio reporter Beth Germano of WBZ-TV about her enthusiasm for teaching in addition to the lessons from space she would learn and share with her students. “I think I’ve always been a risk taker,” McAuliffe said “I like to do things that are adventuresome. I’m really hoping it generates excitement in the education process to give teachers a more positive role.” Hoda Kotb of the TODAY Show spoke to some of McAuliffe’s former students, Holly Merrow, Kristin Jacques and Tammy Hickey, about how they all became teachers in her honor. They walked Kotb down memory lane as they talked about be-
ing McAuliffe’s students and where they were when they watched the shuttle take off. Merrow did not do the interview with Kotb to gain publicity or notoriety, but to simply commemorate McAuliffe’s legacy. “We never want to forget these people,” Merrow said. “I want her to be remembered as someone who stepped outside of her comfort zone and really took a leap to do something that really no one else got to do. I want kids to feel that they can do the same, that they can do and be anything they want to be.”
After talking with some of her former peers last week, all three of them now teachers, the group decided even though 35 years have passed, they needed people to remember the person their then teacher was. It is that message she hopes resonates with her own students now. Merrow is a second-grade teacher, Hickey is now a middle school physical education teacher and Jacques teaches fifth grade. The tragedy happened 19 years and one day after the deaths of three astronauts of the Apollo program in
Photo courtesy of NASA
1967 in a simulation fire at Kennedy Space Center. Seven more astronauts would die 17 years and four days after the Challenger on Feb. 1, 2003, when Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during re-entry. The three tragedies that took 17 lives across one week mark the lowest points in NASA’s history. NASA honors all of them and others who lost their lives in pursuit of space exploration on its Day of Remembrance, Jan. 28, 2021. Crews salvaged the pieces of the shuttle, which were reassembled to investigate what happened. Remains from the seven astronauts were recovered and what could be identified were returned to their families. The rest of them were buried at the Challenger Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery on May 20, 1986. NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Center has see
CHALLENGER page 3
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News
The Daily Aztec
VACCINE:
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Libby Skiles told the Senate. Although the university is partnering with San Diego County, SDSU is not considered a vaccination superstation site (like Petco Park or Cal State San Marcos). Only those within the campus community who are eligible will receive vaccines at SDSU. The county is now administering inoculations to individuals in all tiers of Phase 1A (primarily healthcare and essential workers) and residents 65 or older. SDSU community mem-
bers 65 or older can expect an email to their official SDSU account within the next 48 hours outlining the scheduling process, a campus-wide email said. Looking forward, Phase 1B expands eligibility to residents at risk of exposure to COVID-19 working in the education sector. According to the San Diego County website, this includes institutions of higher education. Michael Workman, a spokesperson for the county, said that there is no estimate as to when the county would move forward into Tier 1B, only that
“we will get to 1B when we get further through 1A.” The primary obstacle is vaccine supply, he said. According to the county’s vaccine dashboard, more than 525,000 doses of the vaccine have shipped, and 343,470 doses have been administered. President de la Torre said the university would not require the COVID-19 vaccine since it’s under emergency use approval. However, according to Skiles, SDSU is planning to continue “non-pharmaceutical interventions” such as facial coverings and surveillance testing to prevent the
Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2020 Editor: Jadyn Brandt
spread of the virus among populations who choose not to or cannot receive the vaccine when repopulating campus. “We realize many of you will continue to have questions and are looking for greater clarity on the phased roll out plan and hwat that means for you,” de la Torre wrote in a campus wide email sent Tuesday evening. “We are committed to keeping you informed and will share information about our vaccination capacity, prioritization guidance and other requirements as those details become available.”
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they can try to appeal the decision at a formal hearing, according to the university. “It further goes to show how little the staff cares about the mental health and well-being of students,” a student awaiting a formal hearing said. “Between that and not giving us the same amount of days for rest and recovery (as spring break), and dishing things out like this in the middle of finals week when people are already stressed – they really don’t care about students as much as we thought they do.” The settlement agreement lists two options where students can choose to be retroactively suspended for the Fall 2020 semester (nullifying any coursework completed) or for the Spring 2021 semester. In both cases, the suspension is documented as a withdrawal on their transcripts and has no effect on their GPA, according to a student awaiting their formal hearing. Suspended students are still on the hook for tuition and fees, however, and will have to play catch-up in order to graduate on time. If they live on-campus, students would also be required to move out during the semester they are suspended. Within some disciplinary notices, students are also
required to write a threeto-five page essay describing the incident and what policies they violated before re-enrolling into SDSU, according to a sophomore who received a suspension notice. How did students violate SDSU COVID-19 policies? The university implemented a testing requirement for all students living on campus at the beginning of last semester on Sept. 15, a month after both online and in-person classes started. Many of the students facing suspension got tested at San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency sites located on campus parking lots in September. After they received their results, numerous students didn’t report them to the university because most assumed the HHSA sites were school-run and SDSU would already be aware of their positive results, according to some SDSU students facing suspension. However, the drive-up testing site, located in parking lot 17B at 6200 Alvarado Road was classified as a San Diego County testing site, not an SDSU site. The only testing site on campus that automatically reports all positive results are the Student Health Services offices located in Calpulli Center. Otherwise, students must upload their results to the Healthecon-
nect webportal. The university did notify students of this policy through its COVID-19 Weekly Digest emails yet many students were taken off guard by the disciplinary actions. “It’s basically a witch hunt at this point for the school, especially since they were under hot water in September,” a sophomore student awaiting her formal hearing said. These students wished to remain anonymous due to concerns their disciplinary status could be affected. The testing requirement implemented in September came after a spike in COVID-19 cases among the university community. A parent of one of the students facing suspension said, in their opinion, this is SDSU’s way of trying to hold someone accountable for the university’s high COVID-19 case numbers and to counter some of the pressure SDSU’s getting from San Diego County. Many of the students also noted how inconsistent the communication from their judicial officers have been and response time was as slow as a couple months. One sophomore student noted how he and his roommate both got COVID-19 tested at the same time and at the same site. Both received positive results and assumed the school was aware of their results. Yet, only one of them received
a suspension notice while the other faced no repercussions. “I was back home with my parents at the time for break (when I received the email) and I was wondering if I was going to lose my housing and my job when I came back,” the sophomore student said. The same student got tested at the Alvarado parking lot site in early September and received a suspension notice email about two months later from a judicial officer from the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities. The student works for SDSU housing and if they were suspended they’d lose their job and housing since those are only available to currently enrolled students. Their boss was not made aware of the student’s situation so the student’s boss reached out to CSRR and was able to get the student’s suspension revoked. Many students aren’t as lucky and are going through with a formal hearing to appeal the decision. Parents of the students facing suspension have started a Facebook group to voice their dissatisfaction on how effectively they believe the university is handling the pandemic. Others are considering legal action. Two parents have confirmed there may be potential lawsuits filed against SDSU.
The Daily Aztec
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SDSU switches to multi-factor login after several reports of phishing attacks EDITOR IN CHIEF Brenden Tuccinardi NEWS EDITOR Jadyn Brandt ASST. NEWS EDITOR Katelynn Robinson OPINION EDITOR Trinity Bland MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR Noé Sandoval ASST. MUNDO AZTECA Karina Bazarte ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Devin Whatley SPORTS EDITOR Kyle Betz ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Luis Lopez SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Catlan Nguyen
SUSPENSION:
News
Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2020 Editor: Jadyn Brandt
PHOTO EDITOR Alexa Oslowski ASST. PHOTO EDITOR Amanda Orozco VIDEO EDITOR Angela Kurysh ASST. VIDEO EDITOR Mackenzie Stafford GRAPHIC DESIGN EDITOR Emily Burgess SENIOR STAFF WRITERS Ryan Hardison Breven Honda Amber Salas Jeanette Giovanniello STAFF WRITERS David Ahumada Brad Gonzalez Flower Smith Sebastian Mendoza Aaliyah Alexander Megan Oytas CONTRIBUTORS Megan Nimtz Robson Winter Fabiola Moren Ruelas ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Bryan Diamond EDITORIAL editor@thedailyaztec.com ADVERTISING advertising@thedailyaztec.com PRINT The Daily Aztec publishes 5,000 copies of its weekly print edition every Wednesday thoughout the semester when we are not in a global pandemic. WEB Daily content is available at www.thedailyaztec.com SOCIAL MEDIA @thedailyaztec
@TheDailyAztec
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/thedailyaztec The views and opinions expressed in this issue do not necessarily reflect those of The Daily Aztec.
by Jeanette
Giovanniello
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
After a significant increase in phishing emails, San Diego State’s IT team is adding an extra step for student log in. In order to increase security, the team is implementing two-factor authentication for anyone logging into SDSU Google Suite accounts. By March 5, students, faculty and staff will be required to enroll in Duo, an app that will require a second device to confirm that the correct user is signing in. Since SDSU switched to an online platform last March, there has been an average of 238 phishing attacks reported every month according to Jerry Sheehan, SDSU’s chief information officer. The phishing emails typically consist of financial scams, such as a job or internship opportunity, paycheck updates, or free gift cards, all of which offer large pay and flexibility. Those who respond to the scams and provide
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an exhibit on display on Florida’s Space Coast paying tribute to those lost in the Challenger. The display also includes a memorial to those lost in the Space Shuttle Columbia. This year, NASA leaders held a scaled down remembrance ceremony at the exhibit due to the COVID-19 pandemic to honor those who lost their lives 35 years ago. Honored at the service were the crews of Apollo 1, the space shuttle Columbia and the space shuttle Challenger. On the night of Jan. 28, 1986, President Ronald Reagan addressed the American people. After expressing his condolences to the families
information are at risk of losing access to their identities, bank accounts, or other personal emails/ online accounts. The attackers may also be able to access campus systems and retrieve data. The emails are sent from SDSU accounts, making the offer seem more legitimate. However, Sheehan said that it is not students or alumni sending these false emails. “Some students will use their SDSU identity to log into other systems like Facebook, or Instagram, and if any of those third-party systems are breached it’s a risk,” Sheehan said. Once attackers get access to an SDSU email, they are able to see other contacts and send phishing emails to them. Some students are likely to trust these emails if they are from someone they may know. “If it looks like it’s coming from (SDSU), you can look up that person and they might be a graduate teaching assistant, or faculty member, or a student who you might know,”
of those killed, he reflected on the country’s space exploration. “We’ve grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we’ve only just begun. We’re still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers,” He said. Then, Reagan specifically addressed the schoolchildren who had been watching from the start to the end of the day – reliving the solemn day – sharing with them that tragedy is sometimes part of the process of ‘expanding our horizons’. “The future doesn’t belong to the faint-hearted. It belongs to the brave,” Reagan said. “The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we’ll continue to follow them.”
Graphic by Brenden Tuccinardi
Sheehan said. “Those are all the ways that they socially hijack our trust.” Interim Chief Information Security Officer, Ricardo Fitipaldi recommended that students only use their SDSUid for university purposes. “All it takes is one person to give out their email,” Fitipaldi said. “Once they are in the system, then they can start searching for all the other emails and make a collection that way.” Duo will enhance security by providing a six-digit
code that will be required every time a student or faculty member wants to sign into their SDSUid. A new code will be required for every session, which typically lasts 24 hours, according to Fitipaldi. The code can be provided through the Duo app, or users can opt to receive it through text or phone call. The app will also send international phone calls and texts for students who are not in the United States due to travel restrictions. The app will eventual-
ly be adopted across all California State University campuses to enhance security for the system. Anyone who is not enrolled by March 5 will lose access to their SDSU Google Suite. To enroll in SDSU Duo, download the app with your preferred second device. Learn how to enable your Google Suite at IT’s Security page. Students, faculty and staff who have received phishing emails can forward them to fraud@sdsu.edu.
Faulconer announces run for Gov. by
Brenden Tuccinardi
EDITOR IN CHIEF
After forming an exploratory committee on Jan. 4, former San Diego Mayor, San Diego State alumnus and former Associated Students President Kevin Faulconer announced his run for California governor Monday evening. The two-term Republican mayor is challenging incumbent Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has come under fire in recent months as the state’s COVID-19 numbers soared and vaccine distribution faltered. Not to mention a damning dinner party at The
French Laundry restaurant, days after announcing much of the state would be placed under stay-at-home orders. Newsom also faces a growing recall movement that is on track to go before voters after garnering more than 1.3 of the 1.5 million signatures required to qualify for the ballot. Faulconer graduated from SDSU in 1990 with a bachelor’s in political science and served as A.S. President from 1989 to 1990. He was elected to the San Diego City Council in 2002 and became mayor after winning a runoff election to replace Bob Filner, who resigned amidst sexual harassment allegations.
In a video announcing his candidacy, Faulconer drew parallels between Newsom and Filner. Saying he’s “taken on promise breakers” before. “In San Diego, we had waste, corruption, an incompetent, bullying mayor, but voters had the courage to overthrow the status quo,” Faulconer said in the video, an overt reference to the Newsom recall campaign. “I’m running to make a difference,” he said. “Not make promises.” If elected, Faulconer would be the first SDSU alumni to be governor and the first California State University graduate elected to the state’s highest office.
Opinion Recent stock market Op-Ed: Shared governance is not ‘alive and well’ at San Diego State events benefit the 4
Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2020 Editor: Trinity Bland
The Daily Aztec
young demographic by
Sebastian Mendoza
STAFF WRITER
Since the start of the year, the price of each GameStop share cruised at around $18 as the company neared its demise but on Jan. 27, Wall Street analysts and hedge fund managers, capitalizing on the company’s decline, raised their eyebrows when the company’s stock rose to an all-time high of about $485. This wild market fluctuation was the result of joint efforts of millions of young investors part of the “r/wallstreetbets” online community on Reddit, a forum characterized by offering ludicrous investing advice and memes. After the news reported investment management firm Melvin Capital placed large short positions, borrowing shares from a broker-dealer and returning them ideally at a lower price, capitalizing from the price difference, on GameStop shares, members of r/wallstreetbets called for the entire community to purchase shares of GameStop through the brokerage, Robinhood. Following this viral online forum’s initiative, not only did the company’s shares skyrocket, the dramatic movement led Robinhood to impose restrictions on the purchases and sales of companies targeted by r/wallstreetbets including GameStop, AMC Theatres, and Blackberry Limited. It is noteworthy that a 2019 survey on r/wallstreetbets shows that most of its community
members are of age 18 to 22, followed by 23 to 29. These results widely contradict the stereotype of investors being of an elderly demographic. As Robinhood and other broker-dealers restricted the access to the shares of the aforementioned companies, the narrative quickly became focused on how wall street professionals were defeated at their own game by youngsters who also reported a net loss of invested money following the forum’s advice, according to the survey. After the trade restrictions were introduced, thousands of social media users took to platforms like Twitter and Reddit to denounce the market’s unfair treatment towards the average Joe, who makes a pretty penny from investing while major firms are allowed to do the very same. All in all, the irony in the name Robinhood has been highlighted, to say the least. Those who are more than market-enthusiasts or news consumers will have perhaps perceived the bigger picture in this recent news — undoubtedly, there is still power to the people. This purportedly “David & Goliath” narrative where the little guy wins is refreshing. The issue of the access younger generations have to financial empowerment resources should be of greater concern to those who in the future might find themselves working in indussee
by
Robson Winter
CONTRIBUTOR
There is a serious disconnect between the students at San Diego State and the university’s administration. This is not necessarily unheard of. Students, who want to have fun will never like those enforcing rules and safety measures on them, right? But, what if the disconnect goes past students who are upset about missing a good time? When the discontentment stems from the administration’s poor handling of a pandemic, worries about the physical safety of students and concerns about the negligence of mental health, it is no longer just an impasse between the rules and those who seek to break them. Students questioning the intentions of their leader-
ship is a real problem. This begs the question, why do students feel their leadership’s intentions may not be in the correct place? Students were allowed to come back to campus on the presumption they are adults and responsible enough not to engage in risky behaviors and not to endanger our communities. In fact, SDSU did not even test students for COVID
before returning them to on-campus living and holding in-person classes. Students were lured back to campus with the promises of in-person classes and the chance of normal campus life, but without appropriate safety precautions in place. The return of students to campus without testing them for COVID-19 see
GOVERNANCE page 5
Photo courtesy of Robson Winter
Commentary: Student voices need to be heard by Fabiola Morena Ruelas
CONTRIBUTOR
What happened at the public senate meeting was one example of how shared governance is nothing but a phrase unless it is actively demonstrated by the administration of this school. This event also allowed students to understand the importance of being present at these types of meetings. Most importantly, it has given Associated Students a
reminder of the importance of true shared governance: student voices need to be heard and listened to in every meeting and discussion. What we can do now, as students, is to continue to show up to learn the process of these meetings, and to continue to advocate for each other. Senate meetings consist of professors, the chair of departments, three students representing A.S and two students representing
the Graduate community at SDSU. This means that the probability of you knowing someone who attends or knows about these meetings is high. I suggest you ask around: ask your professor, another student, or attend an A.S. meeting and find out how else you can get involved. Senate meetings are public, meaning anyone can attend, and the agendas are posted before the Senate’s monthly meeting on Tuesdays.
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Graphic by Sebastian Mendoza
Photo courtesy of Fabiola Morena Ruelas
Opinion
Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2020 Editor: Trinity Bland
The Daily Aztec
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They walked so we could run Exercising at home has become the new normal amid pandemic by
Aaliyah Alexander
STAFF WRITER
I have the honor and privilege to say I am one of the “lucky ones.” As a 21st century Black woman, I live in an era where I am free to pursue my dreams without much resistance. Yes, there are the occasional setbacks and roadblocks, but nothing compared to what my ancestors had to face only a few decades earlier. When I look at the Black leaders today who broke through barriers of a system built to preserve whiteness, I can’t help but think, “wow, we [the black community] have come so far,” but where we are today would not exist if it weren’t for the vision of hope, perseverance and sacrifice of the generations before us. There’s this beautiful poem by Rupi Kaur in her book, “The Sun and Her Flowers”, that better articulates something I admire about the journey my ancestors endured: “I am the first woman in my lineage with freedom of choice/ to craft her future whichever way I choose/ say what is on my mind when I want to/ without the whip of the lash/ there are hundreds
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tries not even created yet. Even though large financial corporations have been antagonized throughout this event, there are a plethora of lessons young generations can learn from those in high financial spheres. Although there won’t always be online forums “sending stocks to the moon” the generations before us have very well understood and leveraged the benefits of investing, seeking a financial advisor, or even taking more risks in personal ventures.
Graphic by Emily Burgess
of firsts i am thankful for/ that my mother and her mother and her mother did not have the privilege of feeling/ what an honor/ to be the first woman in the family who gets to taste her desires/ no wonder i am starving to fill up on this life/ i have generations of bellies to eat for/ the grandmothers must be howling with laughter/ huddled around a mud stove in the afterlife/ sipping on steaming glasses of milky masala chai/ how wild it must be for them to see one of their own living so boldly.” This isn’t to say we, as a Black community, still don’t experience injustices and hardships, but it pales compared to someone born to shackles and sold as property, someone who didn’t have the right to vote, someone who could be lynched for
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was a clear mistake as cases spiked right after students moved in. However, when this happened, the administration did not accept fault for their misguided actions, but instead blamed it on students partying and quickly imposed a Stay at Home Order for students on-campus and paused in-person instruction. Most students living on-campus are freshmen, who had just been robbed of their prom and high school graduation ceremony. Surely, they could not have been expected by administration members to
drinking from the wrong water fountain, someone who was whipped because of the anger of a white man, someone who was stripped of an education or someone who was mocked day in and day out for the beautiful skin they were born into. It still amazes me that in spite of the circumstances previous generations were given, they still found light in it all. They maintained a sense of humanity in a society that tried to dehumanize them. They were strong – stronger than I could ever be. Their bodies were beaten but their spirits remained whole. I carry that with me today as we begin to celebrate and honor their legacy and gifts they have given to the world. I am truly thankful for those who walked, so I could run today.
follow unenforced social distancing protocols, especially when they were put in close proximity with other college students. Could the people who made the decision to allow students to live on campus have not seen this spike coming? Or were they expecting it and just guaranteeing in-person classes to get students, and their money, to return to campus? In many of the “weekly digests” on COVID-19 that SDSU releases, there was direct blame for the spike in cases placed upon students living off-campus. Yet, most students who live off-camsee
ONLINE
Graphic by Emily Burgess
by
Megan Nimtz
CONTRIBUTOR
We are in what seems like a national shortage of happiness. With a year unlike any other, individuals are turning to alcohol and drugs to boost their mood and save them from what seems like the end. Luckily, I can think of a natural way to boost levels of serotonin without consuming substances that harm your body. Exercise! Yes, you heard it here first, fitness releases dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin which are all mood boosters – who knew! Throughout the pandemic, I have been searching high and low for something that consistently pushes me to become more productive, puts me in a better mood and is good for my health. I started getting into a routine of working out every single day, even if it was just for 20 minutes. Turns out, this stuff works! After talking with family and friends, I came to the conclusion that I was not alone in my recent groundbreaking discovery. Other people are in on it too and so are businesses. Think about it, in a given day, we often make excuses for not working out such as “I don’t have time” or “gym memberships are too expensive.” Now, with nothing but time, people are turning
to companies like Peloton and MIRROR for livestreamed or prerecorded classes in order to keep up with their normal fitness regimen. As I asked around, I came to the conclusion that more people were partaking in fitness activities instead of less, Mindbody – a technology platform that connects the world to wellness – verified my claim. Over the past year, fitness has become increasingly accessible, and costs less than ever before. According to Forbes, “73% of consumers are using prerecorded video versus 17% in 2019; 85% are using livestream classes weekly versus 7% in 2019.” I was shocked to see that while people had the opportunity to shut down and sit on the couch and eat Cheez-Its, they chose to get up and get active. Numerous companies have narrowed in on the virtual fitness experience and for good reason. Without long commutes, picking up kids from daycare or having to get ready for work, people can work out at any point of the day, which are options they never had before. In addition to flexibility, the dreaded walk of shame from the treadmill to the free weights is no longer an issue and neither are the eyes of men in bro tanks staring you down as see
ONLINE
Mundo Azteca SDSU Departamento de Educación organiza conferencia virtual promoviendo el bilingüismo y justicia social 6
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Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2020 Editor: Noé Sandoval
The Daily Aztec
Noé Sandoval
EDITOR DE MUNDO AZTECA
Durante el fin de semana del 29 y 30 de enero 2020, la Escuela de Educación en la Universidad Estatal de San Diego organizó una conferencia virtual de bilingüismo. La conferencia, llamada San Diego Dual Language Virtual Conference, es un evento anual donde estudiantes y educadores asistieron a enseñanzas de cómo mejorar el ambiente de aprendizaje en las clases para estudiantes K-12, especialmente en este tiempo de pandemia. La conferencia tuvo varios oradores que hablaron sobre los temas de educación, multilingüismo, y justicia social. Además de los discursos, los participantes asistieron a talleres donde profesionales de educación dieron lecciones de assunto actuales
que muchas escuelas están enfrentando hoy en día. La jefe del Departamento de Educación para estudiantes de inglés y lenguaje dual, Margarita Machado-Casas fue parte de la organización y planificación en este evento virtual. “Más que nunca estamos llamados a la acción como futuros educadores bilingües para ser esos agentes de cambio” dijo Machado-Casas al comienzo de la conferencia. La conferencia tuvo bastantes oradores principales para ambos días, pero el último día enfatizó el tema central de toda la conferencia de justicia social a través del multilingüismo. La primera oradora del día sábado fue Nilda Aguirre, pedagoga de educación bilingüe. Ella se enfoca en la educación de estudiantes
File Photo
dotados y entrenando a otros maestros de cómo tratarlos para una educación eficaz “Educando a maestros por un total de 35 años ha sido un camino personal” dijo Aguirre. “Defendiendo y respetando los valores de estudiantes me ha impulsado como educadora” Ella habló sobre tener conciencia de las necesidades sociales y emocionales de los estudiantes durante este tiempo de la pandemia, ya que afecta la forma de cómo aprenden.
Aguirre dió actividades en las cuales ella mostraba una foto de un estudiante para la audiencia y los participantes tenían que reconocer la emoción que el estudiante mostraba en la foto. “Niños dotados tienen un desarrollo positivo social cuando sus familias los respetan” dijo Aguirre en su presentación. “Cuando sus padres valoran el valor inherente de todo los seres humanos; cuando encuentran verdaderos compañeros de habilidad simi-
lar; y cuando interactúan con los demás después de desarrollar un fuerte de ellos mismos” En la presentación, Aguirre desacreditó varios mitos sobre estudiantes dotados. Ella enfatizó que muchos estudiantes reconocen cuando hay problemas en el hogar y eso puede afectar su desempeño al estudio. La presentación de Aguirre también destacó que muchos niños podrían exhibir comportamientos de ansiedad por causa de la pandemia. Es importante explicarles la situación que todos estamos enfrentando, y si es necesario crear un plan individual estudiantil para mejorar su educación. Tanto como la conferencia habló sobre la educación, también hubo temas de justicia social y see
ONLINE
SDSU es aprobado para comenzar las vacunaciones contra COVID-19 by
Noé Sandoval
EDITOR DE MUNDO AZTECA
Estudiantes y facultad de La Universidad Estatal de San Diego podrán recibir la vacuna contra COVID-19 muy pronto. Este día, 2 de febrero de 2021 la universidad
anunció en un aviso que el estado de California aprobó la administración de la vacuna para la comunidad del campus. El departamento de Servicios de Salud para Estudiantes, o SHS por su siglas en inglés, recibió hoy 300 vacunas de la compañía Moderna.
File photo
Según un tablero virtual que muestra los datos colectados por el condado de San Diego, han habido 525,675 dosis entregadas y 343,740 dosis administrados. La vacunación requiere dos dosis de 28 días aparte y su eficacia es 95%. En el condado, 9.8% de la población ha recibido la primera dosis y solo 2% ha recibido las dos dosis completas. La distribución está siendo organizada por fases igual que en el condado de San Diego, según su plan de vacunación. Los individuales elegibles estará basado en su profesión, edad y estado de salud. Actualmente, el condado está permitiendo individuales en los primeros cuatro niveles de la primera fase. Esto incluye emplea-
dos en el sector médico y personas de 65 años o más. SDSU seguirá las mismas fases igual al condado. La distribución en la universidad deberá comenzar en esta semana. Los individuos elegibles recibirán mensajes ya sea por teléfono o correo electrónico con instrucciones de cómo hacer una cita. No habrá citas disponibles para los que aún no estarán elegibles. Sin embargo, mientras que los niveles progresan los que serán elegibles serán informados. La universidad sugiere entrar en contacto con su médico/a de atención para más información sobre la elegibilidad a vacunación. “Hemos perdido demasiadas vidas y demasiada gente se ha enfermado debido a este virus. Estas son per-
sonas reales que tuvieron vidas y que le importan a alguien, y un número creciente de nosotros conoce a alguien que ha sido afectado directamente por el virus” dijo el aviso. “Vacunarse cuando llegue su momento le ayudará a usted, a su familia y a su comunidad a mantenerse sanos y seguros.” Aunque la vacuna está prometiendo un paso adelante en combatiendo la pandemia, todavía es importante seguir las prácticas generales de prevención. El aislamiento social y el uso de mascarillas siempre son buenas pólizas para evitar el contagio. Además, es importante mantenerse saludable en todos aspectos. La univer-
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Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2020 Editor: Kyle Betz
The Daily Aztec
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Writer’s Roundtable: Memories of the Murph by
Breven Honda
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The concrete stadium in Mission Valley opened for the first time 54 years ago and was used as a multi-purpose stadium for baseball, football, soccer, motocross and Monster Jam. Through its different names of San Diego Stadium to Jack Murphy to Qualcomm to San Diego County Credit Union (SDCCU), so many moments have come from hosting two World Series, three Super Bowls, countless college football bowl games and so many fond memories. Even the San Diego Chicken was born before a 1979 home game between the San Diego Padres and the Houston Astros. So many athletes have starred on the field (or
the pitch) such as Tony Gwynn, Dave Winfield and Trevor Hoffman for the Padres; Don Coryell, Marshall Faulk, Donnel Pumphrey and Rashaad Penny for San Diego State; and Philip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates for the San Diego Chargers. As demolition of the stadium takes place, we asked The Daily Aztec writers some of their recollections of the stadium. What is your favorite memory of the stadium? Amber Salas: “There are so many good ones to just pick one. But the best memories I have, my family grew up as Chargers fans so I always remember going down on Sundays to Qualcomm Stadium. I am from San Clemente originally, but I always remember my fam-
ily piling in the car and going down for games, tailgating, eating good food and all that. Those are good family memories. But, my hands down favorite memory as an Aztec was the game against Stanford our freshman year (in 2017) when the Aztecs won in a crucial play at the very end of the game. The stadium lights randomly went off and everyone used their flashlights on their phone as a little of a delay of game. Everyone yelled the ‘I believe’ chant and then we went on to win and that was the coolest experience ever.” Devin Whatley: “I would say my favorite memory was getting to see, during my freshman year in college, when I got to see SDSU beat Arizona State when they came to
Photo by Brenden Tuccinardi The dying, yellow grass is the most obvious sign that SDCCU Stadium’s days are numbered with the new Aztec Stadium set to be completed on the Mission Valley complex by 2022.
play in football (in 2018). It was really fun to see because the atmosphere was so alive and it was packed. The stadium got so loud and you heard rumblings go throughout the air and it was just an exciting moment. For me, there are too many to think of, but I
would say that was my favorite just considering how fun it was from the tailgate to the giveaway and the whole experience.” Jason Freund: “My favorite moment of Qualcomm Stadium was the fisee
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Aztecs ready to compete with new Men’s soccer back in 2021 with new mindset head coach, shortened schedule Breven Honda & Megan Oytas
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San Diego State volleyball is finally back to competition since its last match 14 months ago. Since then, a lot of moves have happened — from coaching changes to a truncated season beginning this week. Despite all the change, first-year head coach Brent Hilliard said the team is ready and can win the Mountain West Conference Championship. “I feel like this team has the talent to compete for a conference championship right away,” Hilliard said. “I don’t think they – minus any health issues – are right now stepping into our first week of conference play next week, I think we are good enough to win the conference. That being said, we’ll see what happens.” Here are three observations for the upcoming season.
1. Hilliard & Timmons ‘finally’ getting to coach matches Hilliard was hired on Jan. 31, 2020 and a year later, he still has not coached a game in the Scarlet and Black. Assistant coach Steve Timmons was hired two weeks after Hilliard. Both Hilliard and Timmons have prestigious volleyball experience, however this is Timmons’ first coaching gig. Despite having a first-year
assistant coach and two returning assistant coaches from the prior staff, Hilliard said time was needed for everyone to adjust. “We have a first time collegiate coach in coach Steve Timmons and then we have two coaches from the previous staff — actually three if you count our volunteer Yasser (Aguila Todd) — so it’s been a different system see
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Photo by Sam Mayo Then-junior outside hitter Erin Gillcrist gets the ball over the net in the Aztecs’ 3-1 win over Air Force on Nov. 14, 2019 at Peterson Gym.
by
Amber Salas
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
On a typical fall Friday night, the sun sets over Montezuma Road as the bright stadium lights turn on. Fans trickle into the bleachers at the SDSU Sports Deck as the whistle blows to signal that the game is underway. The SDSU Sports Deck, home of San Diego State men’s soccer, has sat deserted for over a year as a result of the Pac-12 Conference postponement of soccer to the spring. The Aztecs’ finished their last game of their 2019 campaign with a loss to UCLA at home on Nov. 16. 15 months later, the Aztecs are preparing to show the Pac-12 what they’re made of. With new head coach Ryan Hopkins, 13 new players on the roster and a whole new style of soccer, the Scarlet and Black are eager to display the new culture they’ve developed during this unusual
COVID offseason. With the 2021 schedule officially released, Hopkins and his team are counting down the days until their first match. “Honestly, in some ways it’s a little bit surreal because we’ve had so many cancellations, we’ve had so many delays, we’ve had so many almost we’re gonna play’s,” Hopkins said. “I’m just kind of still keeping my fingers crossed and once the whistle blows and I’ll be like, ‘All right, this is actually real.’” Junior midfielder Laukoa Santos said the emotions on the team are high as they remember the feeling of soccer being taken away. “It’s like seeing a family member you haven’t seen in years, you know, because it’s been more than 365 days since we played an actual game,” Santos said. “So the emotions are definitely high. I couldn’t be more excited.” see
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Here are four observations to keep in mind as the Aztecs begin their 2021 season. 1. Attacking a difficult Pac-12 schedule Hopkins is beginning his journey of becoming a head coach for the first time ever in an unprecedented year with COVID-19. He’s also ready to tackle a schedule in what he said is one of the most difficult conferences of college soccer. “I mean, the Pac-12 is no joke,” Hopkins said. “I would say outside of (the) ACC, it’s the best soccer conference in the country. So every game we’re going to play is a big game.” The Pac-12 conference has developed a prestigious name in college soccer with its results in the NCAA tournament, as well as the high number of players that go on to play professionally in the MLS. “Three of the last five
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nal Chargers game of the 2015 season. It was the season before the people of San Diego knew, or were expecting them to leave. So, my friends and I, we decided to buy and get some tickets off this one guy. It was the game against the Miami Dolphins – that’s how I remember it – but I still have the ticket with me right now. The Chargers eventually won the game and it was so emotional because you saw the Chargers decide – at the end of the game at the last series – they pulled Philip Rivers out of the game, they pulled Malcolm Floyd, they pulled out Antonio Gates as that final goodbye because everyone thought this was it. It was the final game the Chargers played in San Diego. Philip Rivers stayed after the game for hours signing autographs. He gave away his jersey, his cleats. Eric Weddle, perhaps one of the greatest safeties to ever play for the Chargers,
National Champions have come from the Pac-12,” Hopkins said. “Everybody is super super competitive, and we always have high draft picks in the MLS.” As a veteran member of the program, Santos knows the challenge that comes with playing in the Pac-12. He’s looking forward to seeing the former threetime national champions, the Stanford Cardinal. “Being in the Pac-12, every game is a challenge,” Santos said. “The one that excites me the most is Stanford. They’ve just been a Pac-12 powerhouse for years now, and we had a close game last fall. But every game has the same amount of feeling towards it. Every game is important when we only have 10 this semester, so it’s almost like every game is a championship during this short COVID make-up season.” The schedule presents the Aztecs the challenge of having to play every team in the conference twice —
he joined Rivers signing (autographs) for hours. He took a picture in the middle of the field and it was an emotional game and something I will never forget for my entire life.” Andrew Finley: “My favorite memory, my dad first brought me to a Chargers game when I was 13 years old in 2011. There was a Sunday night game against the (Baltimore) Ravens and I remember going there. Part of the experience about going to a Chargers game, because I was so blessed to go to at least a dozen within that time before the Chargers went away, was tailgating beforehand in that giant parking lot. When I smell sausages, or tri-tip, or a cigar, it brings me back to being in that parking lot as a teenager getting ready to watch a football game. I remember that game and we had seats right behind the endzone and people came up to us and they were like, ‘our friends are sitting right see
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Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2020 Editor: Kyle Betz
Photo courtesy of San Diego Athletics Former Virginia head coach Ryan Hopkins (left) instructs a player along the sideline during Hopkins’ tenure as the Cavaliers head coach. Hopkins was hired as the new head coach of San Diego State men’s soccer in January 2020.
once at home, once on the road. Hopkins is excited to have the task of changing game tactics when facing a team for a second time. “As a coach, you’ve got to do something different for the second game,” Hopkins said. “There’s something you’ve got to change tactically, and so I think there’s a little bit of excitement from that perspective of
that familiarity. You have to do a little bit of something different so I’m kind of excited for that myself.” This season presents an opportunity of the conference being open for any team to make a championship run than in previous years. Teams have made adjustments with seniors leaving, players going pro and all have been affected
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in preparation for the season. “They’re bringing out the good in everyone, so I’m really excited to see that come to fruition in a game setting,” Gillcrist said. “I feel more excited and more ready than any season so that definitely is a testament to their leadership and the way that they just came in, took us all under their wing, and just, they made the team their own.” 2. SDSU to play 16game MWC schedule This season, the Aztecs will play a 16-game conference-only schedule, beginning Feb. 4 at UNLV. Twelve of SDSU’s 16 games are against six opponents and will face them on back-to-back days. In the final four games of the season, SDSU faces four different teams, including their finale against the reigning MWC Champions Colorado State on April 3 at Peterson Gym. While playing the same opponent back-to-back days is a change from previous seasons, Gillcrist said it
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and a different communication,” Hilliard said. “The staff had to get used to each other, too. So they’re finally all on the same page and we’re understanding each other.” Hilliard said having a year to adjust – especially as a first-year head coach – means the last 12 months have been beneficial. “For me, right now to this point means I’m undefeated,” Hilliard said. “I have not had a chance to lose a match yet. So going a year from my start date is pretty fantastic. But, I didn’t think it was going to come about this way. All it’s meant for me is really getting to know the players better. I needed that time because if you want to have a good team, they have to want to play for you and it takes time to build up that type of rapport.” Senior right-side hitter Erin Gillcrist said the unity from the coaching staff is a big reason for the success
by COVID-19 in one way or another. Hopkins knows that once the whistle blows, it’s an equal playing field for everyone. “There’s no game on the schedule that I don’t think is going to be exciting and it’s going to be an extreme challenge,” Hopkins said. 2. 15 months away from soccer allows time for extra practice and new leadership skills With the men’s soccer typical fall season being postponed to the spring, the team has had extra time to practice and begin preparations for when their time for a season would arrive. The team was able to practice five days a week in the fall where Hopkins focused the team’s training on fitness and main playing principles. “We got a lot of work in the fall, which was good see
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Del Cerro residents Quick Take: Here’s some albums to expect in the new year campaign to ‘save’ by
Ryan Hardison
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
One of the countless lessons to be learned from COVD-19 is that the future can’t be perfectly predicted, and it’s clear this same ideal applies to music. Though we can expect to see more projects influenced by the solitude and loneliness of the pandemic, it will certainly be less predictable than other years as more projects are likely to face significant delays. Regardless, there are a lot of projects to be excited about, so here’s some of what we can expect from the things we know, the things we’ve heard, and the things we hope for. CONFIRMED Madlib - “Sound Ancestors” - Release Date: January 29th, 2021
Madlib is a true jackof-all-trades. He’s had his hand in every tract of the rap game over the years whilst paying tribute to jazz legends, releasing instrumental compilations filled with international influence and creating dazzling production for everyone from Tha Alkaholiks to Kanye West. Now after nearly 30 years in music, hip-hop’s greatest sampler and backpack rap connoisseur is doing the one thing he’s yet to do in his
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presents some benefits. “We’re used to getting one try at them at the beginning of the season and then again at the end, and usually you’re a pretty different team by that time,” Gillcrist said. “But I think it definitely is beneficial in that you know you get them the next day so you know you’re really fresh. It’s fresh on your mind, you know the things that you need to change, the things that we can adjust.” Junior outside hitter Victoria O’Sullivan said the team is grateful to be playing, even if there are teams they would like to face more than once. “There’s some teams that I would like to play twice honestly, depending on how the game goes when we play them,” O’Sullivan said. “But always getting more games would be nice, but the fact that we get to play them at all is a treat.” Hilliard said the simplicity of the schedule was the safest decision, and the team see
Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2020 Editor: Devin Whatley
awe-inspiring career: craft a true solo album. The often cryptic producer, with arrangements from friend and fellow producer Four Tet, is now willing to make a definitive, individual mark. Here’s a sample of what’s to come. Weezer - “OK HUMAN” - Release Date: January 29th & “Van Weezer” - Release Date: May 7, 2021 Even for a band that’s see
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Graphic by Emily Burgess
Review: Netflix’s Night Stalker by
Catlan Nguyen
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR
With the rise in popularity of true crime documentary series on Netflix, “Night Stalker” seemed destined to get lost among other true crime content. Within two weeks of being released however, the four-part series landed on Netflix’s top ten trending shows in the U.S. and for good reason. The series follows 80s serial killer, serial rapist, kidnapper, pedophile and burglar Richard Ramirez. Ramirez committed his crimes in the Greater Los Angeles area and the San Francisco Bay Area. The series uses first-hand interviews and accounts from victims who survived and the main detectives who worked on the case back in 1984. Notable interviews come from Detective Gil Carrillo and Detective Frank Salerno from the Homicide Bu-
Photo courtesy of Netflix
reau of Los Angeles County Sheriff. The interview formats make the viewer feel as if they’re doing the detective work right alongside Carillo and Salerno to catch the serial killer. Another chillingly effective method director Toller Russell incorporated into the series is distorting the background music during certain scenes to signify a change in topic and mood. Russell also included a compilation of regular shots paired with inverted shots of Los Angeles to symbolize the darker,
flip side to the city’s more glamorized reputation. The facts presented in the series are fairly accurate and not exaggerated when describing the “Night Stalker’s” various crimes. Ramirez committed 13 murders, five attempted murders, 11 sexual assaults, and 14 burglaries from 1984 to 1985. This serial killer is unique in that his victimology is diverse in age, race and gender: overall he showed no pattern. The Netflix series watchsee
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neighborhood from church development by
David Ahumada
STAFF WRITER
A group of Del Cerro residents continue to mobilize against a new church development near San Diego State. “Save Del Cerro” was created by a group of residents who were looking for answers about the proposed All Peoples Church development coming into their neighborhood. With about 500 followers on Facebook and Instagram, the group has raised over $9,000 to stop it. The All Peoples Church is looking to build a permanent property just off of Interstate 8 and College Avenue in Del Cerro. After nearly three years of waiting, a document delay is stalling the development. Del Cerro resident Michael Livingston, a 1981 SDSU alum, said this has become a battle of transparency between community planners and the City of San Diego. “People, until just recently, haven’t had a clue in what was going on with the property, events and people involved with the property,” Livingston said. “We want to be wary of who we’re being invaded by.” Resident Josh Billauer, another SDSU alum from 2006, keeps a timeline of the project’s development and organizes the official City of San Diego docu-
ments for Save Del Cerro’s website. On Dec. 11, 2017, the city council voted unanimously to approve 24 single-family homes. On Dec. 17, 2017, the deed of trust was sold from the original property developers to the church. Since then, Billauer said residents were left to rely on the Navajo Planning Committee, Del Cerro Action Council and official City of San Diego documents to hear about the project. “In 2018, a representative from the lobbyist group said it was supposed to be a 250 people church, 500 to 2019 and now in 2020, it’s 1000 adults when it was changed again,” Billauer said. “They’re trying to place a 54,000 sq. ft. Mega-church right off of the freeway on Del Cerro Avenue.” All Peoples Church Pastor Robert Herber says that since the church unveiled its plans two years ago, nothing has changed. “Our church is a similar size to churches in the area, it’s the same size as St. Therese in Del Cerro,” Herber said. “It was a gift from god in such a central location.” Herber was a resident of Del Cerro, he took class at San Diego State and wants to give back to the community. “I took my kids to Princess Park, my daughsee
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Photo by Brenden Tuccinardi
Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2020 Editor: Devin Whatley
Arts & Culture
The Daily Aztec
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Reflections on the demolition of SDCCU Stadium by
Brad Gonzales
STAFF WRITER
The stadium in Mission Valley has been known by many names, San Diego Stadium, Jack Murphy Stadium, Qualcomm Stadium, and SDCCU Stadium. Though since 1967, despite all of the name changes, one thing remained constant – San Diegans enjoying a day at the field. Those days, unfortunately, are coming to an end. After decades of the Chargers, Padres, Aztecs, and various events and concerts in the bowl of “The Murph” as many San Diegans fondly remember it, the place grew old and in serious need of an update. While plans to build a stadium for San Diego State were approved, as were plans to knock down the old one. An article in The San
Diego Union-Tribune revealed that even though demolition was initially set for 2022, construction had to be expedited due to the stadium being in a unsustainable state. In other words, the final ball had been thrown, the last bat had been swung, the final song had been sung. It was time for “The Murph” to go. Demolition started in November 2020. Since then – day by day, hour by hour – San Diego’s concrete titan is being broken down into rubble. Harvard School of Design graduate and lecturer of interior architecture at SDSU James Brown looks back fondly on his days spent at the stadium. “My first job was at San Diego Stadium in 1977,” he said. “I was employed by ACE parking. I took the
job for only one reason – to get into the Charger games at halftime for free…Man, that was good.” Despite many people saying “the Murph” was past its prime from a sports standpoint, Brown said the architectural qualities make it stand the test of time. “The stadium was a beautiful sculpture sitting like a pearl surrounded by a chaos of parking and partying…The edifice was classified as brutalist, as is the Geisel Library at UCSD,” he said. “They have strength, both literally and figuratively, in their heavy concrete structure and massing.” That brutalism – making it one-of-a-kind in its heyday – is what made it become a signature part of America’s finest city. “So, while the building has stature and grace, it
Photo by Brenden Tuccinardi Back in October, when this photo was taken, the massive parking lot had just been torn up. Today, a large junk of the stadium itself is gone.
lacks connectivity to its surroundings. It sat alone in splendorous isolation.” Clark Construction is in charge of demolition having been awarded a $250 million contract in March 2019. Albert Valdivia, Clark Construction’s vice president, grew up in San Diego and has fond memories of spending time at SDCCU Stadium. “My dad would take us
to Padres games in the late innings when they would open the gates and you could get in for free,” Valdivia said. “I was able to play on the field in a CIF Championship game, watch my kids play football on the field during a Chargers halftime, and watch my best friend play for the Chargers for several seasons.” see
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B.L.E.U’s innovative sound becoming a hit with students by
Flower Smith
STAFF WRITER
Economics sophomore Karim Arafah is an aspiring singer, songwriter and record producer who is attracting some rise and attention from students at San Diego State. On Jan. 18, Arafah released his first ever single “euphoria” under his official artist name B.L.E.U. The song can be described as a slow pop track with soft and relaxing undertones. Arafah’s initial plans were to release his first single in April or May of last year. However, that was ultimately scrapped. “It didn’t feel like the right time with what was going on in the world (racial injustices and COVID),” Arafah said. Arafah’s musical interest began when he was in the fifth grade, writing his first song while away at camp titled “Miss You.” Music has always been
a passion and a significant part of his life; however, it was not until March of 2020 when he began to record and produce his work. “I wrote this song at the beginning of the pandemic when I felt like I was at an all time low,” Arafah said. “This song basically talks about trying to find happiness when you are in a mindset that makes it impossible to be happy.”
International business sophomore Ivanna Forero Pretto and public health sophomore Robert Hoshni have their own interpretations. Similarly to Arafah’s perspective, Pretto explains how she thinks this song will resonate with many individuals. “I think it has the message ‘I’m going to be my own ‘euphoria’,” Pretto said.
Analyzing the song more in depth, Hoshni pondered the meaning of Arafah’s first release. “Karim’s song dives into thoughts of realization about one’s self,” Hoshni said. “Not knowing where you are going and being in the moment in which you are alive, is important because on that path you’ll find your happiness.” Amid the alone time due
Photo courtesy of B.L.E.U.
to the pandemic, Arafah was able to focus on who and what influences him the most. “Being alone always allows me to become more creative,” said Arafah. “This pandemic gave me a chance to make music.” Artists like American singer, songwriter and record producer FINNEAS, dark pop artist DeathbyRomy and singer-songwriter and musician Lewis Capaldi, motivates the musical endeavors of B.L.E.U. Arafah’s music is mainly created at home. Along with writing his own lyrics, Arafah uses resources from the palm of his hand: Social media. “I record the vocals at home. I also come up with the vocal melody/progression and then I contact some producers and tell them all the ideas I have for the track,” Arafah said. “From there they send out see
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