Wednesday, March 31 - Tuesday, April 6 Weekly Digital Edition
Vol. 107, Issue 21 www.thedailyaztec.com
San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913
An intersectional guide to Women’s History Month by
Brenna Martinez
CONTRIBUTOR
Photos courtesy of the Daily Aztec Editorial Board
Women’s History Month, established just in the past few decades, initially began as a week of celebration in 1981 to recognize important and influential American women. In the following decade, moves in Congress eventually established the entire month of March as a time to honor the historic women in American history. As Women’s History Month steadily gains more awareness with each coming year, it is important that we continually use this month to celebrate women of many different demographics rather than focusing solely on uplifting women who are white, American, cisgender or all three. Of course, it is important to recognize the women who happen to fit these demographics, but it is also critical that Women’s History Month is inclusive of all women. If we are commemorating Women’s History Month with an intersectional approach, We must honor women such as Kimberlé Crenshaw and Angela Davis. Crenshaw coined the term “intersectionality” in 1989 to describe the idea that people who belong to multiple disadvantaged demographics experience inequality in a unique and more complex way, where the inequality they experience cannot be attributed to just a single factor such as race or gender. Women experience disadvantages in our society, however a woman who is poor, a part of the LGBT community, or not white experiences these disadvantages in a way that is unique compared to a cisgender white woman from a high socioeconom-
ic status. The struggles of poverty, racism, or discrimination due to being a part of the LGBT community work in conjunction with the patriarchy to create disadvantages that an economically stable white woman would otherwise not face. It is important that our feminism recognizes that women of different demographics are affected differently by our society, and that our feminism fights for and celebrates women of all backgrounds. While Crenshaw coined the term intersectionality, Angela Davis explored similar ideas in her novel Women, Race, and Class in the early 80s. If you are new to the world of intersectional feminism, Davis’ novel provides a perspective that will challenge the correlation between your feminism and white supremacy, leaving you with a more inclusive way of approaching feminism. Women’s History Month enables us to not only celebrate women like Crenshaw and Davis who were pivotal figures for advancing women’s rights, but also an opportunity to pay attention and shed light on issues that are making a massive impact around the world. Especially in the United States, it is imperative our celebration of women during this month includes uplifting Black transgender women. Unfortunately, our society disproportionately affects and targets this specific demographic. A Black trans woman’s experience in America is one with many hardships including targeted unemployment, violent attacks and hate crimes. So how can we help to create a safer environment for Black trans women and other marginalized groups
of women? The two most important things we can do are to listen to marginalized groups and also use our own privileges to uplift these women. Listening to marginalized groups is crucial as we cannot create effective solutions with our own limited view. As a cisgender or white person, it is crucial that your voice does not overshadow the voices of the people who are actually experiencing these struggles because we do not see the entire picture from our outside perspective.Trying to pave the way to a solution without consulting the actual group that is being affected can actually lead to more harm. By listening to marginalized groups’ experiences, we are able to better identify the behavior — subtle and calculated — that causes harm. This ability to identify harmful behavior allows us to recognize when other people are being harmful but also enhances our ability to recognize our own faults. Being aware of issues does not mean that we are immune from also negatively contributing to these issues, so it is important that we consistently are evaluating our own behavior as well as the behavior of other people. Just being aware of the challenges that marginalized women face is not enough. We must also use our white or cisgender privilege to keep the perpetrators of this behavior in check as well. Whenever we encounter people acting in a way that harms a certain group of women, we need to use our power and actively fight against this behavior. Harmful behavior cannot go unnoticed. Change see
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News
The Daily Aztec
March 31 - April 6, 2021 Editor: Jadyn Brandt
‘Team in the trenches’ How two SDSU alumnae created a Women’s Hall of Fame by
Patrick Doyle
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
For decades, the San Diego County Women’s Hall of Fame has honored some of the most impactful and important women in the region’s history. Every year, nominees are brought forward to be recognized for their outstanding achievements for the betterment of their community. But the road to creating this online museum was difficult, and San Diego State alumnae Sue Gonda and Olivia Puentes-Reynolds were some of the most crucial figures in its 2001 establishment. “The two of us were a
EDITOR IN CHIEF Brenden Tuccinardi NEWS EDITOR Jadyn Brandt ASST. NEWS EDITOR Katelynn Robinson OPINION EDITOR Trinity Bland Photo courtesy of the SDSU NewsCenter Olivia Puentes-Reynolds (right) and Sue Gonda (left)
team in the trenches,” said Gonda, who majored in history at SDSU. Gonda and Puentes-Reynolds met during a 1999 strategic planning session by the Women’s Reclamation Project. Gonda, who was the board president, invited a
plethora of feminist women to hear their ideas on how to create the best museum to honor women in San Diego. When she heard Puentes-Reynolds speak about her ideas, she was moved, and immediately asked her if she’d like to be on her team.
ASST. MUNDO AZTECA Karina Bazarte
Puentes-Reynolds, who majored in economics with a minor in Chicano/a studies at SDSU, was motivated to team up with Gonda due to her observations of a lack of female and ethnic repre-
Katelynn Robinson
ASST. NEWS EDITOR
Applications for the Women’s Resource Center Fellowship Program will be open until April 12 at 5 p.m. The WRC Fellowship Program will be a paid internship that is also available for course credit next semester and eight to 10 candidates will be selected to participate. The fellows
of the WRC work at the front desk, coordinate programs and participate in a Passion Project. Assistant Director of the WRC, Lori Loftin said the fellows primarily conduct outreach to the SDSU community. “The Fellows Program is one of our opportunities for undergraduate students to get involved at the WRC,” Loftin said. “It’s a program where our fel-
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lows will usually work collaboratively with our other staff members.” Loftin said the fellow’s Passion Projects is a project based on the fellow’s feminist interest and is related to intersectional feminism. Professor of Women’s Studies and Feminist Faculty Scholar, Dr. Huma Ahmed-Ghosh said she encourages students in her classes to apply for the Fellows Program. “The fact that my position privileged me to work with the entry students to San Diego State University it is a good opportunity for us to expose them to various, not just student, clubs but these identity centers that exist and also all the support they provide,” Ahmed-Ghosh said. Loftin said the program also allows for students to work in an environment centered around social justice. “They also get a lot of training in feminist leadership development throughout the process of the Fel-
ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Devin Whatley SPORTS EDITOR Kyle Betz ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Luis Lopez SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Catlan Nguyen PHOTO EDITOR Alexa Oslowski
see
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Applications for the Women’s Resource Center Fellowship Program are now open by
MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR Noé Sandoval
lows Program,” Loftin said. “I think it is a really great opportunity for students because it gives them an opportunity to develop their skills, to practice developing programing and to do so in an environment that is really centered around social justice but also that is very supportive. Loftin also said working with the undergraduate fellows is one of the most exciting parts of her job. “I love to see students come in with passions and then have them develop those passions into their programming,” Loftin said. “I think particularly now it is really fun to see the Fellows Program get really innovative about how to provide programming to the campus.” Last year’s fellowship coordinator Doreen Hemmati said the Fellows Program is a good opportunity for students who want to expand their knowledge. “Joining the Fellows Program is a really great way to see
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ASST. PHOTO EDITOR Amanda Orozco VIDEO EDITOR Angela Kurysh ASST. VIDEO EDITOR Mackenzie Stafford GRAPHIC DESIGN EDITOR Emily Burgess
SENIOR STAFF WRITERS Patrick Doyle Ryan Hardison Breven Honda STAFF WRITERS Grace Brady Nicholas Ebadat Isabel Smith CONTRIBUTORS Brenna Martinez 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
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/thedailyaztec The views and opinions expressed in this issue do not necessarily reflect those of The Daily Aztec.
News Women’s Resource Center fellow, Claire Hartmann talks about fellowship experience
March 31 - April 6, 2021 Editor: Jadyn Brandt
by Jadyn
Brandt
NEWS EDITOR
Speech, language and hearing sciences senior Claire Hartmann is spending her last semester at San Diego State working as a fellow at the Women’s Resource Center. The fellowship program, Hartmann said, is a semester-long program where students can gain experience working alongside other women to promote the WRC and its resources. Hartmann also said the fellowship includes a chance to pursue a passion project through the WRC. Hartmann said the project would be posted to the WRC Instagram in April and would focus on a variety of feminist topics including disability and reproductive justice, the eugenics movement, barriers to birth control for disabled persons and how disabled women are treated during pregnancy. “I was really hoping I could do something that could connect disability rights, and advocacy and ac-
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sentation in board meetings across San Diego County before 2000. “In the old days, in the 90s, all I heard is that ‘women won’t work together, they just want to scratch out each other’s eyes,’ ” Puentes-Reynolds said. “It was competitive. It wasn’t about collaboration or helping one another, or providing some role models for younger women that they can be anything they want to.” Both women had experienced sexism while earning their degrees and beyond. Gonda, for example, recalls how the Women’s Resource Center at SDSU used to be nothing more than a student club, with no school funding and no paid staff. It was completely volunteer-driven. She
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tivism to sexual violence,” she said. “Especially since I will likely be working with a lot of the disability community in my future job and so I think it’s important that I bring intersectional feminism into my job.” March is Women’s History Month, and Hartmann said the WRC has been putting on a variety of events, alongside other pride centers on campus. “It’s important to highlight, not only what women as a whole have gone through in the past, but also highlight how we can help to support women and people moving forward,” Hartmann said. “While it’s a topic that is discussed more than maybe other inequalities that people experience, it’s still important. It’s really important to highlight all the awesome things that women have done, but also noting that maybe they haven’t received credit for the things that they’ve done” Even though her fellowship, and entire semester, has been virtual due to the
pandemic, Hartmann said she was still able to make connections with other women at the center. “I was nervous going in since everything is virtual, but I feel like I fostered some really good friendships with some of the people there,” she said. “As a fellow you also get paired with a feminist mentor, and that is also a person that I’ve been able to create really amazing connections
with. She is someone who helps me to learn, who checks in on me and sometimes helps me to engage in other projects with the WRC.” Hartmann said the WRC often puts on events throughout the year on a variety of intersectional topics, her favorite being one that she felt related directly to her major. She said she was able to learn about African American Vernacu-
also remembers protesting The Daily Aztec in the 80s when they at one point stopped running ads for Planned Parenthood and began running more pro-life ads. Gonda eventually began brainstorming a women’s hall of fame when she noticed there was plenty of men’s sports halls of fame, and many ways for men to be spotlighted, while women’s accomplishments were often ignored. She was inspired by the National Women’s Hall of Fame in New York but wanted San Diego’s to take a different approach. “We didn’t want it to be that same kind of ‘famous stuff’ that you see usually about ‘the first woman,’ or ‘the best woman,’ or the ‘richest woman,’ ” Gonda said. “It’s women who have actually built community, who have actually built San Diego...
They were at the forefront, they were doing it, but never got the recognition for it.” After a lot of planning, Gonda, Puentes-Reynolds and their small team founded the Hall of Fame in 2001 and inducted its first honorees by 2002. Both women credit their background at SDSU in helping them succeed with such a massive undertaking and have advice for young women hoping to make an impact in the world. “Whatever interests you,do it,” Gonda said. “Start by volunteering, start by finding an organization that does what you’re interested in...Just get involved, start off small. Go show up somewhere and say ‘I want to help.’ You’d be surprised how quickly you can get hooked into a career and follow what you love because it’s something that you
care about.” “Don’t limit yourself, don’t listen to the nay-sayers,” Puentes-Reynolds said. “If you like space and you want to be an astronaut, maybe you won’t be an astronaut in your final job, but you might be one that helps put an astronaut in space. In other words, don’t be afraid that you’re not smart enough. Give yourself permission, give yourself a hug, and find somebody that wants to collaborate with you and not compete with you.” Gonda said she is especially proud thinking back on what she, Puentes-Reynolds, and the other women they worked with were able to accomplish. “If you’re doing something you care about, make sure it lives on, make sure it’s not about you, make sure it’s about the work you’re do-
Photo courtesy of the Women’s Resource Center
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lar English (AAVE) and how it is used by certain groups to communicate, the same as any other dialect. “As an SLP (Speech, Language and Hearing Pathologist) it’s going to be my job and my future career to make sure that I am able to sustain these dialects because historically, SLP’s have kind of done this thing called linguistic policing,” she said. “(Linguistic policing is) basically encouraging young Black children to stop using AAVE which is not necessarily right because a child should be able to use their own dialect that they use in their own home and what they’ve grown up with.” Hartmann said she also works at the front desk of the WRC, which is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and offers a variety of resources to students in need, including those who have experienced sexual violence. To learn more about the WRC and upcoming events, visit the WRC website or Instagram page.
ing,” Gonda said. “You know, sure I was president of the museum, I was president of faculty at Grossmont – blah blah blah who cares? The point is that the work that I did was so important to me that I didn't want it to die. So Olivia and I started the Hall of Fame, but it lived on after we stopped working with it, it’s still going. And that’s the important thing, to make other people interested in what you’re also passionate about...If we’re not mentoring young women, how are young women going to become leaders?” Gonda and Puentes-Reynolds said they hope the Hall of Fame can find a permanent physical location in the future but are also looking forward to seeing its online infrastructure be built up even more.
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Opinion
The Daily Aztec
March 31 - April 6, 2021 Editor: Trinity Bland
Minnie Riperton gave us flowers, it’s time we give her flowers too by
Ryan Hardison
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The abundance of music laced with resilient, socially-conscious themes canvassing the mid1960s through the early 1970s will likely never be matched again. Even as the counterculture movement waned, many artists stayed resilient in the face of conformity, infusing both peaceful and rebellious features of resistance into their tunes. Minnie Riperton, who was casually disregarded in all the glitz, glamour and grooviness of this dynamic generation, compiled one of the briefest, most captivating musical careers ever before tragically passing away from breast cancer at the age of 31. With a voice described by Stevie Wonder as the
Graphic by Shalika Oza
“eighth wonder of the world,” she boasted a high pitch that could shatter all the glass in a warehouse and charm a flock of bluebirds like Cinderella. She possessed an enchantment that was reminiscent of Greek myth, much like
the alluring voice of sirens. Instead of drawing sailors to their demise, she lured listeners to lush meadows and fields of emerald green. Growing up in Chicago, Riperton was raised in an arts-oriented family and her musical acumen was
quickly recognized. As she pursued singing, she received extensive operatic vocal training. Riperton practiced her classical skillset through the singing of operettas and show tunes along with extensive breathing drills to extend her pitch. However, she deviated from what certainly would’ve been a fruitful career in opera and her attention drifted to the musings of rock, soul and funk. Her first big break came at age fifteen, as a member of the girl group The Gems. The Gems recorded some original records but they mainly served as background singers under various names mainly Song Three and The Starlets.Through her time with Song Three, Riperton met her mentor Billy Davis, the A&R director for Chess
Records and architect behind the sound of artists like Etta James and Jackie Wilson. With his help, Riperton released her first solo singles “Lonely Girl” and “You Gave Me Soul” under the alias Andrea Davis. As Davis, Riperton seized her first chance to unveil a musical ambiance of vibrant lust and sweetness. After being around the scene at Chess for a while — even working as their office receptionist — Riperton finally got to take the lead. The modest success of her Andrea Davis singles and Chess’ affinity for her talent landed her a spot as the lead singer of psychedelic soul band Rotary Connection — only this time, it was all under see
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I agree with Lizzo, body positivity has become commercialized by
Trinity Bland
OPINION EDITOR
Vogue’s October 2020 cover features none other than Lizzo, who everyone and their mom know at this point. In addition to the cover and other pictures in the issue captured by Hype Williams, the interview with Lizzo conducted by Claudia Rankine was one that encompassed a number of topics from her rise to fame to the Black Lives Matter Movement and what it meant to be a Black woman in America, and a number of things in between. For the most part, everything Lizzo said in this Vogue interview was drenched with truth and deep reflection which is undoubtedly appreciated by many. However, the topic that struck me was her thoughts on the body positivity movement as she is a face most people think of when body positivity is
mentioned in this day and age. “It’s commercialized,” Lizzo says. “Now, you look at the hashtag ‘body positive,’ and you see smaller-framed girls, curvier girls. Lotta white girls. And I feel no ways about that because inclusivity is what my message is always about. I’m glad that this conversation is being included in the mainstream narrative. What I don’t like is how the people that this term was created for are not benefiting from it. Girls with back fat, girls with bellies that hang, girls with thighs that aren’t separated, that overlap. Girls with stretch marks. You know, girls who are in the 18-plus club. They need to be benefiting from…the mainstream effect of body positivity now. But with everything that goes mainstream, it gets changed. It gets — you know, it gets made acceptable.” Body positivity emerged as a political and social
movement to challenge society’s standards and prejudices about bodies. Its origins are intertwined with fat-acceptance protests in the 1960s — to combat discrimination against fat people and celebrate plussize bodies. They burned photos of models like Twiggy and books on diets, consequently organizing lectures and seminars in
schools. From the 1960s up until now, the movement has evolved into its own respective economy, with Instagram posts displaying glittery stretch marks or highlighted curves in apparel advertisements, capturing media attention like never before. It seems like the movement was always aimed
Graphic by Shalika Oza
for everyone to feel comfortable within their own skin and to perpetuate that narrative from the very beginning. However, with social media, the wrong things can be emphasized and twisted, and in this case, the movement has become something it was never meant to be. As of lately – specifically the last few years – the mainstream representation of plus-sized individuals at the center of attention in entertainment and across social media has increased. Even with the recent rise of the body positivity movement resulting in different body types on the front pages of fashion sites and covers of major magazines, consumers are getting the wrong idea. There are some people who see those with such defined curves represented and want to do everything they can to look like them. see
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Opinion Audrey Hepburn was more than a movie star
March 31 - April 6, 2021 Editor: Trinity Bland
by
Grace Brady
STAFF WRITER
Audrey Hepburn is widely known for her work as a Hollywood actress as well as a fashion icon to many. People are unaware of how she spent her childhood as a resistance fighter as well as her humanitarian work after she retired from acting. Before her rise to fame, Hepburn grew up in the Netherlands during World War II and the nazi occupation. She supported the Dutch resistance in many ways throughout the war and she helped the resistance by participating in events called the zwarte avonden or “black evenings.” Black evenings were events where people would perform in order to raise funds for the Dutch resistance in houses with closed doors and covered windows. The recitals that Hepburn performed ballet in would provide money to support those who were sheltering Jews all over the Netherlands. In an interview, Hepburn said that “...the best audiences I ever had made not a single sound at the end of my performance.” This was due to how high of a risk it was holding these events, Hepburn added, “...guards were posted outside to let us know when Germans approached.” Black evenings got their name because they were highly illegal and were kept as low profile as possible. Another way Hepburn helped out was carrying messages and food to allied soldiers when they were shot down. She was
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will not occur if we just sit at the sidelines and point out an issue. We must be the active force that challenges these harmful behaviors if we want to see
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an asset to the Dutch resistance because she was just 15 and the Germans didn’t suspect anything of young girls at the time. In one instance, Hepburn was sent to tell a fighter pilot where to hide after he had been shot down in the woods North of her hometown. She successfully delivered the message to the pilot when Nazi soldiers began to approach her. The 15-year old didn’t crack under the pressure but instead pretended to pick flowers in the grass and hand them to the soldiers, trying to keep up the innocent act. The soldiers checked her paperwork and then eventually, let her go. Hepburn recalled this story in an interview and said, “Every loyal dutch schoolgirl and boy did their little bit to help… many were much more courageous than I was.” Later in her childhood, during what is referred to as the “Hunger Winter” during World War II, Hepburn and her family were forced to live in the cellar of their home due to the bombings overhead. All stores were closed so food became very scarce and they often went days without eating. When they did eat, it would be a slice of bread and broth. Hepburn along with many others came very close to dying as she had signs of anemia and edema due to the lack of nourishment. Robert Matzen, author of the book “Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II” told the Times of Israel, “Here is a woman who, as a girl, experienced horrible things, and channeled them into
beauty and positivity, spreading messages of peace and survival." After the war, Hepburn studied acting while working as a dancer and a model in Europe. She was discovered while making a film in Monte-Carlo by a French novelist who thought she would be perfect for a stage adaptation of her novel “Gigi”. Her first major American film was “Roman Holiday” which put her on the map as an actress. Hepburn went on to have a very successful career, including one of her most iconic roles as Holly Golightly in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” Today, Hepburn is known as an EGOT – which means that throughout her acting career she managed to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar
and a Tony award. Hepburn chose to slow down her acting career around the time she had children but she wasn’t quite done with her humanitarian work. In 1988, she was named a special ambassador for the United Nations International Emergency Children’s Fund (UNICEF) which took her to many countries around the world ultimately making over fifty trips to third world countries. She was a public voice for the organization, raising money and awareness of the conditions children were living in across the globe. In 1991, President George Bush gave her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In response to accepting this award, Hepburn said, “I have
been given the privilege of speaking for children who cannot speak for themselves...to save a child is a blessing: to save a million is a God-given opportunity." At age 62, Hepburn was diagnosed with colon cancer after coming home from a UNICEF trip to Somalia and a year later, she died. Audrey Hepburn was so much more than a beautiful movie actress. From fighting the Nazi resistance to speaking before congress on behalf of UNICEF, it seems as though Hepburn has lived 1,000 lives. In the words of Matzen, here’s to a “woman who...experienced horrible things, and channeled them into beauty and positivity.”
improvements. Aside from paying close attention to the issues in our country, we need to keep conversations going surrounding issues that women around the world are facing. Whether it be the femicide epidemic of
México, the struggle of Polish women to retain their reproductive rights or the ever-increasing cases of sexual violence against women in India, we must make sure that we are doing all we can to raise awareness. In this
way, we can use Women’s History Month as a platform to further expand the rights for all women. Of course, we cannot change the systemic issues that women face with ease. However, listening to the experiences of wom-
en of all backgrounds will provide an experience for others to become more aware, which in turn allows people to change their behavior as well as stand up against others who are upholding this system of oppression.
Graphic by Shalika Oza
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The Daily Aztec
Mundo Azteca
March 31 - April 6, 2021 Editor: Noé Sandoval
El Condado de San Diego se atrasa al nivel rojo, aliviando unas restricciones por
Noé Sandoval
EDITOR DE MUNDO AZTECA
En este mes de marzo, el condado de San Diego ha aliviado algunas restricciones de funciones para combatir la pandemia de COVID-19. Es decir, muchos negocios ya han abierto su función con varias modificaciones. El condado de San Diego está en nivel rojo ahora que es un poco más aliviado que el nivel púrpura, en el cual estaba anteriormente. California utiliza un plan según su tasa de positividad, tasa de casos ajustada y métrica de equidad en la salud para determinar cuándo un condado necesita aflojar o ajustar los criterios de reapertura en función del nivel de
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propagación de COVID-19 dentro de una comunidad. El estado utiliza una tasa de casos ajustada, una tasa de positividad y una métrica de equidad en la salud para determinar el estado del nivel codificado por
colores de un condado, desde el amarillo menos restrictivo hasta el nivel más naranja, rojo y morado. restrictivo. Las asignaciones de nuevos niveles se anuncian los martes. Ahora en el nivel rojo,
San Diego podría aliviar las restricciones para restaurantes, gimnasios, cines, museos y más tan pronto como el miércoles, dijo el estado. Pero aunque San Diego se ha movido a un nivel
menos restrictivo, no significa que las restricciones se relajan automáticamente, eso depende de los funcionarios de salud pública del condado. Incluso sin la aprobación final del condado, las empresas estaban haciendo planes para reabrir. El Museo del Aire y el Espacio de San Diego en Balboa Park anunció que reabrirá a los huéspedes el miércoles con las modificaciones necesarias descritas por el estado. Los centros de fitness 24 horas en todo el condado de San Diego también se estaban preparando para reabrir bajo techo el miércoles por la mañana. Momentos después de que se hizo el anuncio, el see
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Alto a la discrimnacion contra la comunidad asiática-americana: #StopTheHate por
Trinity Bland
OPINION EDITOR
En el verano pasado, todos podemos recordar el movimiento de Black Lives Matter que surgió en la media de comunidades y ciudades para destacar las pérdidas de seres queridos en la comunidad afro americana en todo el país. Hoy, estamos viendo las consecuencias de eso — tanto buenos o malos en el lugar de trabajo, académicos y en la vida cotidiana. Siguen ocurriendo microagresiones, y la brutalidad de la policía está muy presente en nuestra cultura. Asiático-americanos está seriamente bajo ataque y hay personas que creen que porque no está captando tracción como el movimiento Black Lives Matter, está causando más tensión en una comunidad que ya está triggered y traumatizada. El término, “olimpiadas de opresión”, se refiere al conflicto sobre quién es
el ‘más oprimido” en una situación o en un movimiento de justicia social. Esto ocurre no solo en diferentes grupos marginados sino también en una sola comunidad oprimida. Esto produce confusión y caos innecesarios durante un tiempo cuando hay más personas está experimentando de una manera más dolorosa. Las personas que se identifican con comunidades oprimidas necesitan buscar el equilibrio entre compartir nuestras realidades e invalidar a los demás. Puede ser una experiencia dolorosa hablar sobre nuestras luchas por simplemente existir, solo para encontrarse con, “Crees que eso es malo? ¡Espera a oír sobre mi vida!” Participar en las olimpiadas de opresión es intolerable, insensible and inmoral. Decir el problema es peor que el resto o que una comunidad recibe más apoyo que otra en momentos
como estos solo hace la situación peor. Desafor tunadamente , había demasiadas personas que ignoraban del mero hecho antes de que el odio tomara su lugar en la nación y las vidas de las personas inocentes. Fue solamente entonces que pudieron comenzar a ver lo horrible que fue esto y reconocer que las vidas de los negros, de hecho, sí importan. Sin embargo, como los ataques y las amenazas llegan contra la comunidad asiático-estadounidense, debemos reconocer que acabar con el odio es donde debemos desviar nuestro enfoque. El hashtag, #StopTheHate, ha mostrado una tendencia en las redes sociales desde el tiroteo de Atlanta, en el que murieron ocho personas, una gran mayoría de ellos asiáticos. Hay una gran variedad de formas en las que podemos detener el odio. Sin embargo, una cosa que
podemos hacer es no participar en “las olimpiadas de opresión”. La división ya es demasiado profunda y demasiado amplia, pero no es imposible hacer un cambio. Tenemos que enfrentar el problema que nos ocupa primero, pero hacerlo de una manera que no sea degradante para ningún grupo de personas. Todos estamos sufriendo en este momento, pero podemos
controlar lo que decimos y así es cómo podemos detener el odio. En general, luchar por la igualdad es luchar por todos las personas — aquellos que se ven, piensan y votan como como usted, además de los que no lo hacen. Si queremos participar en el activismo y hacerlo see
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Sports
March 31 - April 6, 2021 Editor: Kyle Betz
The Daily Aztec
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Writer’s Roundtable: Impact of women in sports by
Breven Honda
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
March is Women’s History Month and the topic of a lack of women in sports has risen dramatically since the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in the summer of 2019. Since then, different levels of sports organizations have added women into roles both on and off the field. Over the last few years, Katie Sowers and Alyssa Nakken have coached Bay Area teams in the San Francisco 49ers and Giants as well as Becky Hammon for the San Antonio Spurs. In addition, Kim Ng became the first woman general manager in MLB for the Miami Marlins last November while Bianca Smith became the first African-American female to become a coach in the Boston Red Sox organization a couple months ago. Furthermore, Colorado Rockies’ play-by-play announcer Jenny Cavnar became the first woman to call games for the first time in 22 years in 2018. An increase in women has even happened in our sports section. I talked to four of our six female sports writers and asked them to share their experiences and thoughts about women in sports. Breven Honda: What does it mean when you see women take on jobs that are predominantly taken by men? Amber Salas, Senior Staff Writer: “It’s powerful, I think about going back to growing up as a sports fan. I remember my family has always been crazy, big hockey fans, so that’s how I fell in love with sports. I remember always watching games on TV and it was males who took on all the roles, even the roles of a sideline reporter after a game. In fact sometimes, they didn’t even have them, it was just the play-by-play
Photo by Kyle Betz The San Diego State women’s basketball huddles up before the Aztecs’ 66-55 loss to UC Irvine on Dec. 19, 2020 at Viejas Arena.
guys putting on a headset and asking the players or coach asking questions after the game. As I got older watching the NFL, women started taking over these roles and that’s when I really was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I would love to do something like that. I would love to be a sideline reporter and get to tell these players’ stories and ask them questions.’ That’s when it became a reality to me.” Reese Savoie, Senior Staff Writer: “It means everything. As a woman who wants to work in the sports industry, being able to see these women be trailblazers in a very traditionally male-dominated career field is amazing. One of the biggest problems that women who want to work in sports face is a lack of mentorship. You don’t see it too often, so being able to see women thrive in this field, it’s incredible and it is so inspirational for me. I love seeing them succeed and I want to follow them in their footsteps and create my own legacy and be a trailblazer and gamechanger myself.” Megan Oytas, Staff Writer: “I think it’s so amazing because I grew
up watching sports with my mom and it was a lot of male-dominated stuff. So seeing women in these roles has a lot of responsibility, it is really awesome to see because I know a lot of female athletes from high school and they’re all amazing and I know they can take on those leadership roles. So to see women do it in a more professional atmosphere means so much.” Jenna Meyer, Staff Writer: “As someone who is working toward that similar goal, or wanting to work in sports, I think it is so exciting, not only to see those women doing those things that I want to do in the future, but also breaking the glass ceiling and really showing that they deserve a spot at the table. Women have so much to say and so much insight and talent that goes into the sports industry and the sports world, which is really exciting. Especially in 2020 and 2021, we’ve seen a lot of breakthroughs, a lot of women in higher positions and higher roles that they deserved and have earned. So, it’s inspiring and really exciting to see women in high school and college are working toward these
same goals.” BH: Who is a woman in the sports world that inspires you? AS: “There are just so many, but I think someone recently who has really inspired me is Molly McGrath, who is a college football reporter for ESPN. She actually just had a baby and it was really inspiring because she worked the entire college football season while being pregnant and wasn’t afraid to show it. The Athletic did a cool feature on her and what it was like going through that because most women kind of hide that when they’re pregnant and don’t want it to be shown on TV. She really embraced it just to show women that you can do both. I can be a mom and I can go back to my job at ESPN being a football reporter. She would post about it on social media and one time she got a really nasty comment about why you are doing this. She threw it right back and was like, ‘women are powerful and can do both.’ I think that was so inspiring.” RS: “Off the top of my head, Alex Curry, who is a sideline reporter for the (Los Angeles) Angels. I love
her and had the opportunity to speak with her last year. We really connected so it’s really cool saying her because I have that personal connection with her. Watching someone that went to San Diego State just like me, is a (School of Journalism and Media Studies) Media Studies major just like me, played soccer, did all these things. We had a very similar path and an early start, so it’s really amazing watching her succeed. She is a huge inspiration.” MO: “Growing up, I watch a lot of the women soccer stars, like Abby Wambach and Megan Rapinoe, but all of those U.S. women’s soccer stars.” JM: “I grew up in Seattle, Washington so I grew up watching the Seahawks and the Mariners and my sports inspiration has to be Jen Mueller. She is a broadcast journalist and covers the Mariners and Seahawks. She had an amazing story where in college, she would referee intramural football and people were like, ‘Oh, there’s a woman out here.’ From the beginning, she knew what she wanted and she was able to go get that see
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The Daily Aztec
March 31 - April 6, 2021 Editor: Kyle Betz
Disparity between men’s and women’s basketball tournament budgets draws controversy by
Katelynn Robinson
ASST. NEWS EDITOR
The NCAA men’s and women’s basketball men’s and women’s basketball tournaments were unorthodox this year, as news of the dramatically different accommodations for men and women leaked through social media. Videos of the women’s gym which was complete with one set of small dumbbells and some yoga mats rocked the nation because the men’s gym was complete with squat racks, bench racks and any other exercise equipment one might need to compete in the tournament. All eyes were on the NCAA when they admitted to allocating a budget for the men’s basketball teams that was double that of the women’s teams, according to ESPN.
Nights after the women’s teams made the news, the women were accommodated with more equipment, even though the NCAA originally claimed there was not enough space for such equipment. San Diego State women’s basketball junior guard Sophia Ramos has friends currently playing in the NCAA Tournament. She said she found out about the accommodations via social media. “I was disappointed... and shocked were for sure the two feelings I had in regards to it,” Ramos said. “Especially knowing I had a lot of friends playing in the tournament, knowing they had to go through all the differences and just being able to actually see it as well.” Ramos said it was disappointing to see what the women were provided in
the biggest tournament for college athletes. “I’m glad that there was some change being made for sure. I think that it shows that our voices are pretty powerful,” Ramos said. Images surfaced of the upgrades provided to the women after their demands reached several news outlets. Oregon women’s basketball sophomore center Sedona Prince kept the public updated through her viral TikTok videos. which provided an inside look at the NCAA Tournament during the pandemic. “I still don’t think it was anything compared to what the men have,” Ramos said. “I think it was even more disappointing that that was what they were supposed to get for see
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Courtesy of Ali Kershner (@kershner.ali on Instagram) The top photo shows a fully-equipped weightroom at the NCAA men’s basketball Tournament in Indianapolis, while the bottom photo shows a poorly-accomodated exercise area at the women’s NCAA Tournament in San Antonio.
Highlighted by 809 career points, Adams leaves legacy at SDSU by
lots of memories. She’s that person you kind of gravitate towards and I think that’s kind of going to be what I miss the most.” Ramos said Adams is always someone to encourage, no matter what kind of day she was having.
Katelynn Robinson
ASST. NEWS EDITOR
San Diego State women’s basketball lone senior guard Téa Adams played her final collegiate game in the Mountain West Conference Tournament on March 7. Shortly before on Feb. 21, Adams was honored at her home court in Viejas Arena for the final time during Senior Day festivities. Before the start of the game against Fresno State, a video compilation of Adams’ family and friends wishing her luck played on the jumbotron. Due to COVID-19 safety regulations, her family was unable to watch her final home game in person. “It was amazing,” Adams said of being honored during Senior Day. “It’s a bummer that my family couldn’t be here but everyone on the staff and my teammates and support staff made it very special,
Head coach Stacie Terry-Hutson described Adams’ smile on the court as contagious, and said that
Photo by Brenden Tuccinardi San Diego State women’s basketball senior guard Téa Adams drives for a layup during the Aztecs’ 79-77 win over Fresno State on Feb. 20, 2021 at Viejas Arena.
and my family of course. I’m grateful, I’m very very grateful.” The Kirkland, Wash. native’s fourth season prob-
ably didn’t end the way she envisioned, but Adams leaves SDSU with 9.9 points, 2.5 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game during
her collegiate career. Reflecting on her career, Adams said the women’s basketball program will forever hold a special place
in her heart. “It has completely changed my life forever,” Adams said. “I’ve made memories here with such amazing people that I will hold in my heart forever, and that have changed me for the better. The people here have stood by me for better or for worse so I’m forever grateful and indebted to this program.” She said that her time in the program has contributed to her development not only as a player, but as a person. “As a player, probably just learning that working hard really does get you places in life,” Adams said. “And as a person, just learning to adapt to hard situations and growing in those.” Junior guard Sophia Ramos said the thing she will miss the most about Adams is... well, Adams. “She brings lots of laughs,” Ramos said. “She brings see
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9 Arts & Culture SDSU Nursing Students partner with San Diego County to distribute COVID-19 vaccines March 31 - April 6, 2021 Editor: Devin Whatley
by
The Daily Aztec
Ryan Hardison
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Currently, there are over 25 vaccination sites throughout San Diego County and with more locations opening soon, the county is looking for qualified volunteers to assist the vaccination effort. Hearing this call-to-action, San Diego State’s nursing students have volunteered in droves to vaccinate their fellow San Diegans. Through nonprofit health care organizations like SHARP HealthCare, Scripps Medical, and Champions For Health, students have been given the chance to sign up for a variety of shifts at vaccination clinics throughout the county. After making their arrangements online, students show up to their scheduled clinic and work
Photo courtesy of Gillian Werolin Nursing junior Gillian Werolin, along with classmates Jenny Yuan and Lisa Phan, are one of nearly 300 SDSU nursing students partnering with local health nonprofits to help vaccinate San Diegans against COVID-19.
directly with patients, guiding them through the entire process. This partnership between SDSU and the county started a few months ago when the county began preparing its plans and materials. Before joining the county’s vaccination plan, students at various levels in their nursing education needed to be
trained specifically for the type of vaccine being administered. Nursing junior Gillian Werolin said students were initially contacted by faculty and sent online modules to complete through the county website attached with a requirement for in-person training. When their “thorough” preparation was completed, stu-
dents received a list of potential locations to sign up for. So far, Werolin has volunteered exclusively through Champions For Health, a foundation focusing on areas suffering from health inequities compared to other sections of the county. This underserved demographic includes migrant workers
and residents of assisted living facilities, two subsets Werolin particularly takes pride in helping. Overall, she says her participation has been incredibly worthwhile. “It’s been a really great learning experience and a great opportunity to help the community and hopefully increase the rate of vaccinations,” Werolin said. Also, Werolin is ecstatic with the way so many nursing students responded to the department and the county’s request for volunteers. She remembers seeing tons of enthusiastic responses from her classmates when the news first came out. “It was just very positive to see our nursing students actually do care and want to go a step beyond see
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Ginny and Georgia shines as family figures out their new home by
Nicholas Ebadat
STAFF WRITER
The popular Netflix show “Ginny and Georgia” is a realistic and gritty drama about a checkered family not used to staying in one place for long. The family of four are trying to put down their roots in a New England picturesque town, though they seem to bring drama with them. The narrative is dependent on the actions of this family, so a deep dive into the characters was necessary for it to work. Thankfully that is exactly what the show did with additional exploration for most of the people they meet that create or are affected by their conflicts. Ginny is a half black half white teenager that has trouble navigating a predominantly white high school without suppress-
ing her blackness. Her ethnicity is a topic that comes up naturally within the story forcing her to come to terms with what she feels is necessary to have a normal life. She tries to discover her identity in friendship, academics, and sexual relationships for the first time, creating scenarios on screen that are relatable and understandable to the modern American teen. Georgia is a young and single mother of two children who had a dark past that she spent her whole life running from. Much of the show focuses on her past through flashbacks which directly translate into her actions as a mother and her feelings towards certain discussions that arise with her daughter and son. She is a very complex character, managing to teach her children how to navigate life while
she struggles with financial responsibilities without education past 15 years of age. She navigates the world in the way that she knows best, and by seeing why, it is hard for the audience not to admire her resourcefulness and strength to keep fighting for her children to have better opportunities than she did. It goes without saying that the namesakes of the show would get the most screen time, but surprisingly supporting characters and antagonists alike are well fleshed out within the show’s narrative. Maxine, Ginny’s best friend, is a socially awkward and proud lesbian who yearns for finding her first love after years of being out. Another friend, Abby, is portrayed as the cold one of their group but is revealed to have been dealing with family is-
Photo courtesy of Netflix Studios A screenshot of the Netflix series featuring Brianne Howey and Antonia Gentry.
sues that would reasonably contribute to her questionable actions. A spout between Ginny and her love interest, Hunter, provided a long-overdue discussion around the struggles for individuals of half minority descent fitting in. Ginny’s little brother, Austin, has trouble with confrontation and causes their mother to discover how too much sheltering from the outside world can be detrimental to a child's upbringing. Whereas most of the characters are flawed
with merit, there was one character that stuck out and left a sour thought to process. *spoiler* Maxine’s twin brother, Marcus, was a relentless archetype of the overused “cool guy” that steals the interest of Ginny. He is a rebel stoner who wears a leather jacket, rides a motorcycle and climbs into new girls’ windows without provocation. Maybe his characterization of being tall, dark, and handsome adds to the reasoning behind why Ginny see
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he
Daily Aztec
Arts & Culture
March 31 - April 6, 2021 Editor: Devin Whatley
Pride Center’s Queer Crafternoon provides virtual connection for campus LGBTQ+ community by
Alexa Oslowski
PHOTO EDITOR
It’s easy to feel isolated from your community during a completely online world. However, resource centers are an amazing space to connect with other students in the community and take some time away from the demands of school and work. For the LGBTQ+ community at San Diego State, this space is The Pride Center. Brenda Drew (they/them), a second-year history major and a current Pride Center Educator, shared how the pandemic affects who is able to attend the center’s weekly events. “I'm being understanding that not everybody can show up in the same capacities that they were
Graphic by Alexa Oslowski The Pride Center offers weekly events for LGTBQ+ students to connect with others in the campus community.
able to when they were in person,” Drew said. “Some people love to go to our events, but they live in a space that they can't do that.” This school year, all events were held virtually, and the staff and students at the resource centers worked hard to create the same safe space online that is normally experienced in person. There are events
to attend no matter what people are interested in, from Queer Coffee Hour to Queer Crafternoon, and the Pride Center also puts on events like their LGBT+ Faith Circle. Diego Smith (he/him), a fourth-year sociology major and another Pride Center Educator, said the online spaces can be easier and more difficult at the same time.
“I feel like it's taking away a lot of like the difficulties I've seen with hosting recurring events because you're worried, ‘Is this the right time?’ and worry if people didn't have the capacity after a long day of classes to come to this event or is it an inconvenient time for people,” Smith said. “The virtual space kind of takes it all away because it's a lot easier to access our events, like, technically it is. I think I feel like we're still burning out just as quickly.” Regular events the Pride Center puts on include Queer Coffee Hour and Queer Crafternoon. Here, students are invited to drop in and have conversations with the Pride Center Educators and discuss what they’re drinking or what current craft project
they’re working on. Chrystian Smith (she/ they), a fourth-year political science and history double major, said these events are also designed knowing that students are all experiencing burnout and Zoom fatigue, and are meant to be a reprieve from the demands of school. “There's the level of burnout that comes with each passing virtual event that we have to put on, and the realization that a lot of our attendees are also facing burnout and may not want to come in the first place. But I think what really keeps us motivated with hosting these events is, we do get our regulars. We know that we make an impact in their lives,” Smith see
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Two women helped lead San Diego State into where it is today by Isabel
Smith
STAFF WRITER
March is Women’s History Month - an annual celebration of the achievements of women and their role in U.S. history. In its early years as the San Diego Normal School, women formed the majority of the student population. Since then, many of them have played a crucial role in San Diego State’s history and evolution. To celebrate Women’s History Month, here are two women who have helped shape SDSU into what it is today. Vesta C. Muehleisen Vesta C. Muehleisen was born on August 7, 1889, in Tabor, Iowa to parents Henry E. Gates and Nettie Fox. She moved to San Diego in 1891 and trained to be an elementary school teacher at San Diego State which at the time was known as San Diego Normal School. In 1907, Muehleisen earned her undergraduate degree at San Diego Normal School. Muehleisen was a part of the school’s
eighth graduating class and remained active within her alma mater in ways that resonate with students and alumni today In 1927, San Diego State Teachers College’s second president, Edward L. Hardy, appointed Muehleisen to the citizens advisory council formed to assist in finding a suitable site to move the institution. Two previous site selections had fallen through and the issue was becoming urgent. Muehleisen suggested moving the campus to a remote, undeveloped site east of San Diego. In May 1931, she attended the dedication ceremony for the new campus location. That same year, she founded the SDSU Alumni Association and became its first president. Decades later, the SDSU Alumni Association is still alive and running. The mission of the alumni association is to create meaningful and beneficial relations between all Aztecs and the university.
Muehleisen passed away on October 19, 1973 in San Diego. Nancy Marlin In 1998, the seventh president of San Diego State University, Stephen L. Weber recruited Nancy Marlin to serve as the campus’s first woman provost. Together the two collaborated to turn SDSU into a global campus by increasing partnerships with universities outside the U.S. and encouraging students to study abroad. Marlin had a target goal of 30% of students studying abroad. At the time this goal seemed unattainable but today SDSU remains one of the top schools for international experiences. According to the SDSU International Affairs team, 2,940 students studied abroad in the 2019-2020 academic year, ranking SDSU at seventh nationwide for study abroad programs. Marlin stepped down from her role as SDSU’s provost to return to the faculty in 2013 after serving
Photos courtesy of San Diego State University Vesta C. Muehleisen and Nancy Marlin were two women whose actions helped SDSU rise as a university.
15 years but her hard work did not go unnoticed. In 2013, Mary Ruth Carleton, vice president for university relations and development, nominated Marlin for San Diego Business Journal’s “Women Who Mean Business Awards.” Out of 160 candidates, 30 women were chosen to receive the award, including Marlin. “This is a recognition that goes to the university as a whole. Everything I do is because of the fabulous people here at SDSU,” Marlin said at the time of her
nomination. “I don’t do this job by myself. It takes faculty, administrators and staff. Our success is really the work of everybody." Marlin’s tireless commitment to SDSU’s students left a huge impact on the campus. Although she was the first female provost of SDSU, she hopes she won't be the last. “It’s nice to know that the next woman provost here at SDSU won’t have to be the first,” she said. “This is what we're fighting for — to no longer be the first woman in the room.”