PROWLING FOR NEWS SINCE 1999
THE COUGAR CHRONICLE
VOLUME LIII, ISSUE #XII
CSUSMCHRONICLE.COM
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2022
special edition for upcoming Tukwut winners
receive awards T
ukwut Leadership Awards Night recognizes individuals, as well as campus and student groups, for their outstanding leadership and commitment to making student life thrive at CSUSM. Most Outstanding Program or Event by a Student Organization: CSUSM Esports Gamefest Most Outstanding Program or Event by a Campus Organization: Brazilian Carnaval Latin@/x Center and Black Student Center Student Organization of the Year: American Indian Student Alliance Student Organization Member of the Year: Theron Papakalos CSUSM Baseball Club and Madison Farfan Management Society Campus Organization Member of the Year: Annie Fenton - USU Live Social Justice Award: Kar Aguilar Advisor of the Year: Penny Lanese Faculty of the Year: Hunter Brody Chanove Outstanding Sophomore Student Award: Priscilla Al-Rayes
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Rose Schindler shares Holocaust survival story
BY CASSIDY LOVELL A&E Editor
R
ose Schindler, a Holocaust survivor, spoke to the campus community on April 11. As part of CSUSM’s Arts & Lectures event series, the panel was free for students, $5 for faculty, staff, and alumni, and $10 for community members. Rose’s story begins in Czechoslovakia. Rose lived on a farm with her father, mother, aunt, and seven siblings. Life was good. But as World War II progressed, Nazi officials arrived and occupied her village. Everything changed. Jewish businesses were closed, and non-Jewish neighbors became hostile. The day after Passover, officials told the Jewish residents to prepare to leave. They were entitled to just one bag and instructed to leave all valuables behind. Eventually, all the Jewish
people in her town were rounded up. With no idea where they were going, they traveled by wagon to a train station. At the station, they were stuffed into crowded, windowless cattle cars. When Rose arrived at Auschwitz, a Jewish worker asked her how old she was. She let him know her age– just 14 years old. “Tell them you’re 18,” he told her. When later asked her age by a German officer, Rose insisted she was 18. Then, her family was separated into lines: her father and older brother in one line, her mother and younger siblings in another. Rose was grouped alongside her older sisters. She never saw her mother or younger siblings again. Had Rose told the truth about her age, she would have been sent straight to the gas chamber. On her second day at
Auschwitz, Rose would, by chance, reunite with her father Solomon and older brother Philip. Selected for slave labor, Solomon and Philip had been temporarily assigned to Auschwitz. But their assignment was brief, and after their departure, she never saw them again. This was not uncommon— Rose told the audience that out of the “600 Jews in her village,
Photo courtesy of Office of Communication
Shindler gave a tearjerking talk to the community.
CAMPUS NEWS
Sorority Alpha Omicron Pi donates a $6127 check to Veterans and Affiliated Students Alpha Omicron Pi, one of
the sororities on campus, presented a $6,127 check to Veterans and Affiliated Students Organization on April 7. The money was fundraised through their annual Spring philanthropy event in honor of their second philanthropy “Sisters for soldiers.” Their goal was to fundraise $5000 and to find their next
sweetheart or representative fraternity brother. In partnership with four fraternities and the greek community Alpha Omicron Pi beat their fundraising goal of $5,000 by $1,127 and Dino VaVasquez from Sigma Chi was crowned Alpha male. “This event was special to me because as a fellow organization on campus,
we worked collaboratively with other Greek organizations here at CSUSM to support another organization that benefits the students. Watching organizations support other organizations was something incredible and just goes to show how awesome the students here at CSUSM are,” Sophie Sepulveda said.
Outstanding Senior Student Award: Codie Sterner and Kylee Shimono
FEATURES
Campus recreation provides wellness for students Outdoor Adventures has been providing opportunities for CSUSM students to get outdoors since 2008.
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Photos courtesy of Alpha Omicrom Pi
Alpha Omicrom Pi fundraised money through their Alpha Male contest.
A&E
T.V. SHOW: Moon Knight
Oscar Isaac stars as Steven Grant, a mild-mannered man who has dissociative identity disorder that manifests as his alternate identity, Marc Spector, the titular mercenary of the show’s title. PAGE 5
OPINION
Rise in gas prices is an oppurtunity for environmental change
While gasoline prices are tough on everybody now, this is an opportunity to help the environment. PAGE 6
she met Max, a fellow Holocaust survivor and her future husband. They later moved to New York and then to San Diego, where she currently resides. Rose’s message is an important one– we must stand up to injustice. The interim dean of CHABSS, Elizabeth Matthews, gave a short speech at the end of the event. She said, “We need to remember our responsibility here. We now carry this memory with us. We need to make sure that we share what we’ve learned with everyone around us. Because we do need to stop this from happening [again].” For more information on Rose Schindlers novel, visit https://twowhosurvived. com. To support The Butterfly Project, a Holocaust education organization Rose recommends, visit https:// thebutterflyprojectnow.org.
OFFICE OF COMMUNICATION
Masks continue to be mandatory in all CSUSM instructional spaces Masks
continue to be required in instructional spaces including, but not limited to, the library and study halls. In recreational buildings like the USU masks are up to personal preference. If you are unsure, look
for the signs posted around the building. If you become infected, make sure to follow proper protocol and inform the university ny contacting covidcasereporting@csusm. edu. Make sure you do not come onto campus and make sure to isolate yourself to keep others safe,
CAMPUS EVENTS
April is the month of gAyPRIL Pride
Outstanding Junior Student Award: Cassidy Lovell
Cougar Wall of Fame: Fern Hernandez and Madison Conte
only 18 to 20 came back.” Despite living through the horrific conditions of Auschwitz and losing a majority of her family, Rose never gave up hope. Rose and her older sisters Helen and Judy were liberated at Freudenthal, a slave labor camp. She went on to live in the United Kingdom, where she received rehabilitation resources. It’s also where
is traditionaly celebrated in June, long after the spring semester has come to a close. However, CSUSM takes the month of April as an oppurtunity to celebrate gAyPRIL. Events are hosted all month long, including lectures and activites. Events are open to all communities are meant to serve as a learning tool for those who want to participate. The events are hosted
SPORTS
by the pride center and it’s student workers. The highlight event is second chance prom, an opportunity for anyine to have a second chance. For more information join the Pride Center’s daily email list by texting LGBTQA to 22828 and make sure to check our their Instagram @csusm.pride. You may also visit the event website at https:// w w w. c s u s m . e d u / p r i d e / TODAY
TOMORROW
Women’s lacrosse plays a strong playoff match and recieves silver
Congratulations Cougars for being awarded 2nd place in the WWLL Regionals! PAGE 6
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THE COUGAR CHRONICLE
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CSU NEWSWIRE
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2022
RESTAURANT REVIEW: Cafe Sevilla
California lawmakers act swiftly Experience the Flavor of Himalaya following Sacramento massacre BY MAGALI CASTILLO Features Editor
BY DENIS AKBARI University Times, CSULA
T
he After a deadly shooting in Sacramento this past weekend, lawmakers are proposing broader legislation that makes the gun industry accountable in California. Legislators hope to write new laws to close legal loopholes that allow individuals to obtain weapons illegally and without background checks. The California Senate Judiciary Committee passed SB 1327, legislation that allows private individuals to file civil lawsuits against manufacturers and distributors of illegal firearms on April 5. “These laws were put on the books to stop chronic repeat offenders” said SF State Criminal Justice lecturer James Dudley. These illegal firearms include ghost guns, firearms without serial numbers which make them untraceable, typically bought online in several parts. Unofficial retailers sell the firearm kit anonymously and without the ability to trace the transaction. “If your family’s harmed or you know, you’re shot, you could sue the manufacturers or wherever the guns come from,” said Dudley. Dudley stated that the new legislation gives some ability for individuals to sue or to go after the gun manufacturers or wherever the origin of the firearm, similar to the SB 8 Texas bill. California lawmakers have proposed more than two dozen gun safety bills and bills supporting violence preven-
tion programs since January. “The scourge of gun violence continues to be a crisis in this country, and we must resolve to bring an end to this carnage,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom in a statement following the mass shooting in Sacramento last weekend that left six dead and 12 injured. The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives reported in 2020 that 65% of all ghost guns seized were in California. Ari Freilich, the State Policy Director at the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, credits California with its “A” rating for Gun Law Safety Strength, considering California has the strongest gun laws over the largest number of areas. Freilich also stated the Sacramento shooting happened despite the strong gun laws in California. One handgun was recovered from the scene, and another handgun was recovered after 300 homes were searched in the area. More than 100 shell casings were discovered. “We believe at this point there are five shooters and the five shooters included two groups where there was an exchange of gunfire,” Sacramento police Sgt. Zach Eaton said in a briefing April 5. Sacramento police arrested three individuals from Sunday’s mass shooting. Daviyonne Dawson, was taken into custody late Monday morning after police saw him with a firearm after the incident. Dawson has been
charged for possessing a firearm despite being prohibited from retaining one. Detectives identified Danrae Martin as a suspect in the shooting. He was arrested April 4 for assault with a firearm and for being a prohibited individual in possession of a firearm. Danrae’s brother, Smiley Martin, was identified as the second suspect. He was located at the scene April 5 and was taken into custody for possession of a firearm by a prohibited individual and possession of a machine gun.
the vegetable samosas. They are filled inside with aloo (potato). Flavor of Himalaya are open 6 days a week from 11 a.m to 9 p.m. They are closed on Mondays and take a one hour lunch break from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. They do take-out, delivery, dine-in, and online orders. They are located at 727 West San Marcos Blvd, San Marcos, California 92078, United States. To learn more, check out their website https://flavorofhimalaya.com.
Denis Akbari wrote this article for Cal State LA’s University Times.
Photo property of Associated Press
People attend a candlelight for Sacramento shooting victims.
Cougar Crossword
Down: 2. An area in which something exists or living. 3. What is the official Earth Day? 4. Grown or raised without chemicals 5. A type of solid waste disposal. 8. An area where waste materials are buried underground.
T
he city of San Marcos food options are constantly changing with new additions being added where there is a diversity of flavors. If you are a fan of Indian and Nepalese authenticity look no further than stopping by Flavor of Himalaya. Indian food is known for the variety of spices that they use in their food. Given that the chefs have about 20 years of experience the authenticity and flavors of the food leave you full and satisfied.
There is a daily lunch special everyday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m that costs $10.95 plus tax. All lunch specials are served with rice, naan bread, nepalese salad, and aloo ko achar (potato with onions). In addition, you are able to choose two items that range from a veggie option and non veggie option. The chicken tikka masala was the special I ordered and it was one of the best meals I have ever had. I did not want the meal to end. The proportions are big enough to have leftovers. For appetizers, I highly recommend ordering
Across: 1. Earth Day is to celebrate the environment through movement and raising ____________ about pollution. 6. To make now or restore. 7. What type of pollution impacts human and ecosystem health? 9. Convert to reusable material? 10. Spinach, broccoli, and carrots are a few examples of?
Photos by Magali Castillo
Flavor of Himilaya gives it’s customers multiple food options.
PHOTOSTORY: Nature
Nature is within campus grounds BY OSCAR ROJAS Photographer
ORGANIZATION FEATURE: Campus Recreation
Campus recreation provides wellness for students BY MAGALI CASTILLO Features Editor
Campus
Recreation has a variety of ways of helping students get involved in regards to their wellness and student development. Outdoor Adventures has been providing opportunities for CSUSM students to get outdoors since 2008. Outdoor Adventures offers diverse experiences for students to meet new people and to get out of their comfort zone. There goes a lot of planning when it comes to hiking if you haven’t ever done that before which is
something that Outdoor Adventures provides. I was able to be one of the participants for their camping trip to Anza-Borrego Springs on April 8-10, 2022. The professional staff and CSUSM student guides take the time to organize these events with a lot of care and attention. One of their goals is to build group unity by the appreciation of wilderness adventures. Being on the camping trip I was able to create friendships with every CSUSM student that participated. They challenge us in breaking away from routines
and creating a love for the involved in! outdoors! To learn more visit, https:// There are day trips, week- www.csusm.edu/rec/outend trips, and extended door_adventures/ week-long excursions to get
Photo by Magali Castillo
Campus recreation offers off campus trips.
RESTAURANT REVIEW: Cafe Sevilla
Wednesday, April 13, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
o you own a pair of jeans that need some design on them? Have you ever thought that you could upcycle your jeans? The designs are endless when it comes to adding new features on the clothes you own. Crafting is such a great hobby to add especially when you are a college student that is looking for a fun activity to do that will get your hands dirty! There are many things that Materials Needed: Denim you can add to your clothes jeans, fabric diamonds, fab- like another idea would be ric glue embroidery!
Thursday, April 14, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Journey to Zero Waste Fair
BY MAGALI CASTILLO Features Editor
D
Directions: Step 1: Plan out the design that you want by drawing it on a piece of paper. Step 2: After laying out the jeans that you will use to decorate, grab the materials. Step 3: Place the fabric diamonds to the design you have crafted. Step 4: Next use the fabric glue to stick the fabric diamonds on the pair of jeans. Step 5: Finish by letting the design dry out!
@ Kel Plaza
NEWS EDITOR Christopher King cougarchron.news@gmail.com A&E EDITOR Cassidy Lovell cougarchron.arts@gmail.com FEATURES EDITOR Magali Castillo cougarchron.features@gmail.com SPORTS EDITOR Zoe Silva cougarchron.sports@gmail.com OPINION EDITOR Sayna Nassertorabi cougarchron.opinion@gmail.com VIDEO EDITOR Jose Valdovinos cougarchron.video@gmail.com
ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR Danya Rodriguez cougarchron.featuresassistant@gmail.com
Film Screening & Discussion of Asian Americans @ USU 3400
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Nijiati Maimaitiyiming cougarchron.sportsassistant@gmail.com REPORTERS Priscilla Cruz Kristin Bergmann Raul Marroquin Natalie Navarro Brittany Stroffolino
Saturday, April 16, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
GRAPHIC DESIGN INTERNS Angelina Parra Fernanda Ugarte Photo by Magali Castillo
This DIY adds a new spin to old jeans. any Letter to the Editor for any reason. The Cougar Chronicle is the independent student newspaper at CSUSM. We dedicate ourselves to the education enlightenment of students and the campus community and uphold the highest professional journalistic standards, ethics and responsibilities.
WEB & SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Eric Hendricks cougarchron.web@gmail.com
ASSISTANT A&E EDITOR Nik Chrissanthos cougarchron.aeassistant@gmail.com
Thursday, April 14 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Cougar Blue Day @ CSUSM (RSVP for more info)
EDITOR IN CHIEF Marbella Ramirez csusm.cougarchronicle@gmail.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Mallory Arcena cougarchron.design2@gmail.com
Event Calendar Classy Cougar Party Safely @ USU 2300-A, USU 2300-C
THE COUGAR CHRONICLE
MANAGING EDITOR Kinsey Canez cougarchron.managingeditor@gmail.com
Embroider this DIY
The Cougar Chronicle is published twice a month on Wednesdays during the academic year. All advertising revenue goes to support Cougar Chronicle scholarships. Letters to the Editor should include a first and last name and should be under 300 words, submitted via email. It is the policy of The Cougar Chronicle not to print anonymous letters. The Cougar Chronicle reserves the right to reject
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THE COUGAR CHRONICLE
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2022
Want to support student Journalism? We offer an integrated multimedia platform for you to reach our audience: - Our mobile-friendly website, csusmchronicle. com, relaunched in fall 2015. - The Cougar Chronicle’s social media sites drive traffic to our website. Your advertising dollars support scholarships for our student journalists. Thank you for your support of student media at CSUSM! Contact our Editor-InChief via email at csusm.cougarchronicle@gmail. com to review our Media Kit.
PHOTOGRAPHERS Angelina Parra Valeria Serna Oscar Rojas ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR Maria Clements JOURNALISM ADVISOR Kent Davy
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THE COUGAR
Dina Gilio-Whitaker Professor of American Indian Studies (CHABSS) and Author we are now we can see that the world as we know it and the way the future looks is defined by climate change and environmental degradation that has led to mass species extinctions. And it’s really disappointing to think that we haven’t seemed to learn much. But we have to keep trying and keep teaching and talking about what the future trajectory looks like, for the sake of future generations.
1. Why do you believe it is important to celebrate Earth Day? Earth Day was first created in 1970 to foster a widespread sense of caring for the earth, an environmental ethic you might say. It is a
marking of a time that we can think of as the beginning of the environmental movement as we know it today. The reasons for it now are the same as the reasons for it then, but if we look back see where
2. Without any financial or creative limitations, what would be your ideal environmental project? That’s a tough one. But what comes to mind immediately is to support all the tribal
food sovereignty projects in existence. And where none exists, to create them. But also I suppose high on the list would be to support and/or create salmon restoration projects. As a native person I have grown up with the story of how our tribe, the Colvilles, have lost access to salmon the way that we used to have it because of the building of the Grand Coulee dam. Now, the collapse of salmon populations have affected not just Indians but represents an environmental devastation for everyone because when a keystone species like salmon is endangered, it endangers other species including humans. It’s time for us to start living up to our respon-
Anne Dabb Professor of Environmental Studies and Philiosphy
1. Why do you believe it is important to celebrate Earth Day? I think there are many important reasons to celebrate Earth Day. It’s important to acknowledge and commemorate the emergence of ecological consciousness in the
dominant/mainstream culture of the US in the late 1960s/early1970s. I don’t think we can overstate the importance of work like Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring in shifting awareness of environmental issues. Today, Earth Day is
celebrated in over 190 countries and is a day of education, action, and civic engagement. Especially in a world where we are confronted at seemingly every moment with wicked problems— like the climate crisis— civic engagement, education, and collaboration are more important than ever. What is promising in the 21st century context is the growing acknowledgement of environmental justice and equity and the importance of traditional ecological knowledge; and Indigenous ecological knowledge, science, and worldviews as powerful ways forward. 2. Without any financial or creative limitations, what would be your ideal environmen-
sibilities as humans to our nonhuman relatives; from an indigenous perspective this is what climate change and all of the other environmental problems we face stem from. 3. How should we as students and staff, make a change on campus to better care for the environment around us? One of the things that we are doing on our campus is working to become leaders on climate change information in the region through the Climate Change Faculty Working Group. I’m a member of this group and I’m really proud of the work we’re doing and if one of the projects we’d like to
tal project? This is a difficult question! If there were no financial, administrative, or creative barriers or limitations, the first thing I would do is engage our campus in a Climate Action Plan (CAP) and then work with the City of San Marcos to merge our campus CAP with the city/community plan. My dream project for the CSUSM campus would be the creation of a Sustainability Hub housed in a regenerative, living building. This Center would include an incubator for student-led sustainability projects that could include ideas for new business, products, and processes that implement Nature-based solutions, biomimicry, principles of circular economy, etc. In addi-
see is the creation of a 5 megawatt solar-powered micro grid that would dramatically reduce our reliance on the conventional fossil fuel based power grid. We are having active conversations about this now and I would love to see this materialize in the near future. As plans progress I’m sure we will talk more about it and this would be something everyone on our campus could be proud of. In the meantime, students can be taking courses in environmental studies, climate change, and indigenous knowledge and working to raise their awareness about how to become better stewards of the environment.
tion to the Sustainability Hub, the campus-as-aliving-lab concept would be expanded to include a regenerative, tiny-house community, food forest, and chaparral demonstration garden that could help meet the needs of housing- and food-insecure students and could also be the site of student research projects. 3. How should we as students and staff, make a change on campus to better care for the environment around us? Get in touch with whatever you think of as Nature. This can be as simple as spending a few minutes outside observing what is around you. Become attuned to the More-than-Human world around you. Learn about
the places you live—especially how you are connected to land. Take time to learn about, acknowledge, and honor the original Peoples of the land you are on. On a really practical note—and this is something I encourage all of my students to do— choose one small action that improves your immediate environment and keep doing it! Start doing it today and do it for the rest of your life. Even if in the moment, your one small action seems insignificant or only makes you feel better, that’s good enough. None of us can truly ever know the full impacts we have on each other, on other beings, and on the planet.
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Dr. Timohir Kostadinov Professor of Geography just big. And we’re not used to thinking on these scales on these huge scales that our planet is and that is what’s really needed to start thinking because now humanity has technology that can affect the whole planet. We need to think about the whole planet and think of it as our life support system.
1. Why do you believe it is important to celebrate Earth Day? Oh, well, every day is the Earth Day right. But I believe it’s important to celebrate to remind ourselves from our busy day to day lives. It’s a great way to remind ourselves that we depend on planet Earth and its properties for our lives, including the ocean.
And so in the ocean, the ocean is a very important part of why the planet is habitable and supports life, right? So we literally are like, on a spaceship, we’re gonna call our planet, our life support system. It’s like Spaceship Earth, flying to space and the rest of space is very much not habitable and not hospitable to humans. And this is our home literally, it’s
2. Without any financial or creative limitations, what would be your ideal environmental project? Well, I do a lot of work with satellites. So it would be great for students and myself to be involved with like, I guess since or asking without any limitations the launch of some Earth observing satellites so that you can actually see the process and see the whole process. Know entrepreneurs observing satellite, and actually the ability to work with Earth Observing drones as well since now drones are an upcoming technology. So these are these are expensive toys, but would be great to work with some. It is definitely within reach. Actually, that’s
way more realistic. Launching of satellites is like a nation scale project right? - Almost - or a huge company whereas the drones is a lot more realistic. In the future - we might - our department is looking at possibly having a drone actually, that actually has sophisticated cameras that measure - or like you can tell the state of agricultural field for example, by overflying continuously with a drone these kinds of projects where students and myself gets hands on experience to play with important technology. That would be one thing 3. How should we as students and staff, make a change on campus to better care for the environment around us? Well, get involved as much as possible in things that are already ongoing like recycling and composting. To the extent that is possible and safe, drive less use more public transportation all of these of course with COVID has become harder, unfortunately. But these kinds of things make a
big difference. Also, advocate for more interconnectedness of the campus so it becomes more walkable in a safe way to the neighboring places so that we get to walk more it’s healthier for us as humans, it’s healthier for an environment to walk and bike more, right? And student voices are heard. So through places like Associated Students incorporated and representatives of the students in various faculty and administration groups on campus, students advocate more for these kinds of things that will make a difference. For example, instead of - Of course, if difficult we don’t need with the current infrastructure and a lot of students commuting more bargains possible. For example, things like solar panels on top of parking lots can help. And all the administration and sustainability groups on campus are already looking at these things. So that’s not new. But when students expressed interest in these things and advocated makes a difference. .
Marissa Acosta Zero Waste and Sustainability Specialist of CSUSM’s Sustainabilty Program 1. Why do you believe it is important to celebrate Earth Day? Earth Day is important to celebrate because it reminds us of our duties to take care of our planet. It is vital that we take time to celebrate all that the world gives us and strive to protect it.
sustainability relates to different majors. Sometimes we don’t recognize how we might be able to integrate sustainability into our work and maybe by demonstrating that through art people will have a better idea of its importance and relevance to their field of study
2. Without any financial or creative limitations, what would be your ideal environmental project? My ideal sustainability project would incorporate art and climate justice issues to demonstrate how
3.How should we as students and staff, make a change on campus to better care for the environment around us? Our goal is to be zero waste by 2025 and I think everyone on campus can help make the right
changes to reach it. By reducing consumption and rethinking the way we do things we can start reducing what gets sent to landfill. You can start by using what you have first, using second hand items and being more thoughtful about the items you buy. You can also reduce the use of single use items by brining your own water bottle or utensils to campus. Another small but powerful step towards caring for our environment is to take the time to learn how to dispose of waste, learning what goes in the recycling, compost and landfill.
Christina Simokat Professor of Environmental Studies and Biological Scienes 1. Why do you believe it is important to celebrate Earth Day? Earth Day raises awareness about the issues affecting us all -- it celebrates connection amongst humans and the whole planet, reminding us we are just one of many who live here. 2. Without any financial or creative limitations, what would be your ideal environmental project? I love plants and animals. So my dream would be that
everyone uses plants native to their area for all landscaping - homes and businesses - and that would create wildlife habitat everywhere! Farms too! I’d love to see commercial agriculture begin to use natives. 3. How should we as students and staff, make a change on campus to better care for the environment around us? There are so many, many ways that humans can make a positive impact on our plan-
et. If everyone just did the earth-friendly things that were easy for them, imagine how much better off we’d be! Maybe you find it easy to take short showers, or take public transit, or buy fewer things generally -- pick what’s easy for you to do. Then get outside and enjoy the beautiful earth we live on!
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The Cougar Chronicle entertainment rundown T.V. SHOW : Moon Knight
BY NIK CHRISSANTHOS Asst. A&E Editor
M
oon Knight is the latest television show in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Oscar Isaac stars as Steven Grant, a mild-mannered man who has dissociative identity disorder that manifests as his alternate identity, Marc Spector, the titular mercenary of the show’s title. Moon Knight is a superhero with powers
gifted by the Egyptian God Khonshu, who tends towards a more brutal fighting style than previous Marvel heroes. Ethan Hawke plays the role of antagonist Arthur Harrow, a religious leader who worships the Egyptian Goddess Ammit. The series is premiering its sixth episode now on Disney+, with new Photo property of Marvel episodes premiering every Judge this new show for Wednesday. yourself.
VIDEO GAME: LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga BY NIK CHRISSANTHOS Asst. A&E Editor
L
Photo property of LEGO.
Live your intergalatic dreams with this game.
EGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is the latest in a long line of LEGO video games developed by Traveller’s Tales, but this recent release aims to completely reinvent the series while also allowing players to fully immerse themselves in the Star Wars galaxy. Players are free to jump into
the game’s story from the beginning of the Original Trilogy, Prequel Trilogy, and the Sequel Trilogy, and then move on to explore the vast open world of iconic Star Wars planets from all nine movies as any of over three hundred playable characters. The game launched April 5, 2022 for Playstation 4 1st and 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC and Nintendo Switch.
MOVIE: The Lost City BY CASSIDY LOVELL A&E Editor
T
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2022
THE COUGAR CHRONICLE
he Lost City is an actioncomedy film released on March 25. Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) is an introverted and highly successful romance author forced by her manager into a book tour. Accompanying her is Alan (Channing Tatum), the good-looking, personable cover model of Sage’s book series. When Sage realizes the audience’s interest lies more with Alan
than her book research, she strolls off— only to be kidnapped by billionaire Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe). Alan teams up with ex-Navy SEAL, currently CIA agent Jack Trainer (Brad Pitt), to rescue Sage. Meanwhile, Sage is taken to a remote island with an ancient lost city, where she has an adventure reminiscent of one of her Photo property of Paramount. own books. The Lost City is available to watch in Laugh out loud by watchtheaters now. ing this new film.
COUGAR CHRONICLE Songs of the week
REVIEW: Business Proposal
“Business Proposal” is another success for Netflix’s drama list
BY MARBELLA RAMIREZ Editor-In-Chief This review contains spoilers.
L
ooking for a fun drama to bringe watch over the weekend? “Business Proposal” is a live action adaptation of the manhwa “The Office Blind Date,” a romantic comedy following the bizarre love-story between protagonists Shin Ha-ri (Kim Sejeong) and Kang Tae-mu (Ahn Hyo-seop), the CEO of the company Ha-ri works at. The couple’s interaction begins when Ha-Ri is bribed by her best friend and conglomerate heir, Jin Youngseo (Seol In-ah) into attending a blind date set up by her father in her stead. The other party is a straightforward Tae-mu, a man only interested in business who is threatened by his grandfather into attending dates until he finds a significant other. In order to divert any marriage potential off of Young-seo, Ha-ri decides to put on heavy makeup and a dyed wig to play a rich homewrecker persona, going as far as to claim false morals to give a horrible impression. Tae-mu on the other hand has no plans on wasting his time on blind dates, he decides to choose the first person he meets. The first date begins a push and pull relationship between the two, Tae-mu is still unaware of the friends’ switch and Ha-ri becomes aware of his position within her workplace. Comedy is around every corner as Ha-ri struggles to avoid her new boss at work whilst also trying to convince him that she is not the one. Special effects are drawn in from time to time, a creative addition that adds to the fun of the drama.
Photo property of Netflix.
The drama follows Ha-ri as she tries to navigate love in the corporate world.
Her first lie is brought down when Young-seo gets into a parking incident with Tae-mu’s secretary Cha Sung-hoon (Kim Min-kyu) exposing their real identities. Consequently, Ha-ri is tricked into entering a contract relationship with Tae-mu in order to trick Chairman Kang, Tae-mu’s grandfather. Yet, she still struggles in both worlds as she continues to hide her real face so that her job isn’t compromised. “Business Proposal” is a perfect fit for a night in, there is nothing but fluff in the script allowing for audiences to let their guard down after a long day at work or school. With 12 episodes, each about an hour long, the drama is short in comparison to the standard 16 episode format for romance dramas. This is a growing trend within Netflix produced Korean dramas, their acclaimed drama “Squid Games” is made up of only nine episodes and supernatural-based “Mystic Pop-up
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Photo property of Tapas.
The drama is based of the manhwa “The Office Blind Date.”
Bar” wrapped up within 12 episodes. These dramas differ from bite-sized Korean web dramas as they are full hour episodes rather than 5-20 minute episodes. The short format was clever, allowing for the typical awkward period after the love resolution to be avoided. However, interesting additions were made to the script that weren’t present in the original story. At first, it added to the cheesiness of the story, however, as the story progressed it arguably stole from a good ending. Several cliches were executed throughout the drama, all of which were not present in the original; an accidental fall into a kiss, car accident, and even a year long separation between the couple. The addition of these scenes became unnecessary, instead the production crew should have opted to recreate more manhwa scenes. The ending was cute in short, however for readers of the original, the new ending was disappointing. It robbed the audience of beautiful scenes and revelations which would have neatly ended the fairy tale. Considering the major success that “Business Proposal” had, Netflix should at least grant epilogue episodes. Considering the author is currently releasing extra chapters, there is much content to start filming on. Overall, the chemistry between the protagonists was naturally captivating. Not to mention the identical recreation of Young-seo and Sung-hoon’s relationship, for that one you may want to hold off on having young ones in the room. All 12 episodes of “Business Proposal” are out now and available for streaming on Netflix, make sure to read the manhwa to decide on the superior version yourself.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2022
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THE COUGAR CHRONICLE
OPINION: Gas Prices
Rise in gas price is an opportunity for environmental change BY SAYNA NASSERTORABI Opinions Editor
I
Photo by Marbella Ramirez
Gas prices reach an all time high around California, with some stations reaching six dollars.
t is no surprise that since the war between Russia and Ukraine started, the United States has seen a big jump in gas prices. Prices are double what they were 18 months ago. They are up 20 percent since the war started six weeks ago, according to a cbsnews.com report. They are different theories on why gas prices have ballooned.
One reason is that President Biden halted the import of crude oil and petroleum products from Russia, which supplied 10 percent of all oil imports. Another explanation is the financial pressure of oil price hikes worldwide, according to CBS news. Oil prices have climbed from around $60 a barrel a year ago to more than $125 as the war started (prices have moderated some in the past two weeks). While gasoline prices are tough on everybody now, this is an opportunity to help
the environment. In many places, and even in some U.S. cities, people mainly use public transportation. In cities like London and New York, that works. In other places, like North County San Diego, most people have to use their own form of transportation. It is almost impossible to get around without your own vehicle -- unless you are a bicyclist. People who own Teslas, or hybrid cars or any other car that saves gas, are the
luckiest at the moment. They minimize their high gas price purchases and help the environment. Hybrid Toyotas run on batteries limiting your gas usage until you need the extra power, when the engine kicks to assist. Teslas are great cars that run entirely on electricity and offer lots of different technologies. The rise in gas prices is not so bad if it makes people take a step to help their planet by using their cars less if they can.
CSU NEWSWIRE: Opinion
Make women’s empowerment a daily practice
BY DENIS AKBARI Uniiversity Times, CSULA
R
ape, low prosecution rates, threats to abortion and reproductive services. These were all on the minds of Cal State LA students during Women’s History Month. Golden Eagles took the time to reflect on what women’s empowerment truly means to them and how they can contribute to social change every day. Many felt it was important to focus on supporting diversity and women of all backgrounds. Mariana Ruvalcaba, a communications major, shared that women’s empowerment means learning from other women and understanding the differences that make women who they are. “I think women’s empowerment is inspiring women to be the best they can be,” Ruvalcaba said. “However to me, women’s empowerment means accepting all women for who they are and acknowledging differences in age, race, sexual orientation, abilities and much more.” Psychology major Charlize Molina said that
in her opinion, women’s empowerment can be defined as women regaining a sense of self. “They have self worth, they’re independent and they have the power to create change,” she said. “Women’s empowerment to me means women taking charge of self improvement.” Ruth Hernandez, who is pursuing a master’s in political science, likes to highlight and strengthen women’s voices as well as promoting the advancement of women in society. “Historically, women have been marginalized and stripped of many rights,”Hernandez said. “There has been much progress since those times, yet in many states women do not have the right to make decisions over their body, and many times, the legal system does a terrible job in protecting women from violence.” Hernandez finds the low prosecution rate of sexual assault reporters to be telling. Out of 1,000 sexual assaults that happen, 975 perpetratures will walk free, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network
(RAINN). RAINN also states on their website that data shows it is rare that sexual assault is even reported to police due in part to stigma and lack of knowledge about the process or resources. Political science major Elba Castellanos believes that women’s empowerment is about uplifting and advocating for women. “I think women should be respected in the workplace in regards to equal pay and recognition and they
should be respected in their reproductive choices such as access to abortion and health care,” Castellanos said. “I know those are the most common areas, but that’s the point. It’s common because they’ve been injustices for such a long time.” Sonrisa Lopez, a business administration major, believes women’s empowerment wants to build a society that supports women. “We often hear about
Photo By Cornell Chuaseco
There is no reason for the end of March to dictate the end of empowerment.
women that succeeded despite their hardships as women,” Lopez said. “I would rather hear that women succeeded because of their environment and that is when we will stop feeling the need to ask these types of questions.” Castellanos and Ruvalcaba agree on practices they do daily to empower women, such as listening to women and respecting their choices. “In my daily life, I empower women by supporting them and encouraging them to make decisions that will later empower other women,” Ruvalcaba said. Molina and Hernandez empower women by supporting women-owned businesses and making a point to spread kindness. “I empower women in my daily life by using my personal struggles to voice solutions to various problems, such as underrepresentation in the workplace that women face,” Hernandez said. Lopez empowers women daily by looking out for women she sees regularly. “If a woman tells me about an experience where they were discriminated against,
I support them by making sure they know resources designed to help them,” she said. Castellanos and Lopez agree on the way they have celebrated Women’s History Month, which is by reading books written by women authors such as Rachel Swaby and showing appreciation to all women. Hernandez celebrated Women’s History Month by advocating on the issues women have faced throughout history. “I have been sharing the stories of women that inspire me the most, hoping to educate others a little more,” she said Ruvalcaba and Molina spent Women’s History Month focusing on themselves and fully embracing the women that they are. “During Women’s History Month, I have not only supported other women in their journey to self improvement, but I have finally started mine,” Molina said.
Denis Akbari wrote this article for Cal State LA’s University Times.
SPORT HIGHLIGHT: Men’s Lacrosse
Men’s lacrosse breaks records and battles obstacles BY ZOE SILVA Sports Editor
W
hat is lacrosse? Is it football with sticks? Soccer with a smaller ball? Basketball without a hoop? Men’s lacrosse is a bit of every kind of sport, and that is why the game is so entertaining. CSUSM has its’ very own men’s team under the Division II Southern Lacrosse Conference. So far this season, the Cougars have competed in 7 games with 5 wins, and only 2 defeats. Their President, #22, Tanner Peach, has been kind enough to share a few words about the ‘22 spring season thus far. How do you feel your team is doing this season?
“We don’t have as many players on the team as we have in years past; however, with our lightroster, we have tons of talent. We have been able to build chemistry within a few weeks of playing together, and so far, our hard work has paid off, with a record of (5-2) on the season.”
Do you believe that your team can make it to Nationals? “Yes we have a strong chance of making it to Nationals especially due to the addition of our new Coaching Staff. Coach Wyatt Ehrhardt stepped up from his assistant position and is now the head coach of our program. We have also acquired
Zach Walker as part of our offensive coordinator and Matt Lizotte as our defensive coordinator.” The team’s treasure, #33, Austin Contreras, also spread some light onto the team’s performance this year.
been one of the best experiences in my entire life. We’ve had a lot of guys who have played together for a long time. One of the guys, Brown, #6, has been with me since high school, and an-
other guy has been with me since 7th grade. We all work hard to build team chemistry and hold each other accountable.” The team just had their last home game on Saturday,
April 9th. They celebrated their senior day with a 17-8 victory against USD. Their next game will be held on Saturday, April 16th against UCSD at 7PM on the Triton’s turf.
When do playoffs take place for your league? “Playoffs will be held April 29th- May 1st in Arizona. It will be our SLC Regional Tournament. The team is looking really good right now, so those games should be a lot of fun.” How is the team dynamic this year? “Being on this team has
Photo courtesy of Lacrosse
This year, the men’s team is short on players, however, it does not stop them.
PAGE 8
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2022
THE COUGAR CHRONICLE
SPOR TS SPORT HIGHLIGHT: Golf
Men’s golf team swings their way into the top 10 during tournament
BY NIJAT MAMTIMEN Asst. Sports Editor
T
he Cal State San Marcos men’s golf team competed against 14 teams at Turlock Golf and Country Club on Mar. 28 in California with a team score of 603 (+27). Matt Pennington scored the best in the game, making it into the top 10 with a three-under 69 in the second round and is tied for ninth with a one-under 143.
round of the day. Pennington was able to collect nine birdies in the first two rounds,
Peddington’s achievement helped rank the Cougars in 10th place in the tournament. Ending the day with six birdies, alongside three bogeys, Pennington made it to CSUSM’s only under-par
and tied for third in the tournament. He was able to score lower than his competitor, Saint Martin’s Tyler Fitchett, which put him on top as 12th after 36 holes played. The CCAA Championships will be held April 11-13 at Yocha Dehe Golf Course. Afterwards the team will be scheduled to compete in the NCAA West Regionals taking place at the beginning of May. Until then, Go Cougars!
BY ZOE SILVA Sports Editor
C
SUSM’s Softball program is NFCA Division II, ranked as No. 8 nationally. The program started in 2016, and just two years later, Stef Ewing became Head Coach of the team in 2018. The team has been successful in their 2022 spring season, having an overall record of 33-3. In an interview, Coach Ewing claims the number proves to be outstanding due to the “living in the moment” style of coaching favored by herself. Ewing started coaching at 16 years old, driving to another field after her own softball practice to help with another team. From that time on, she knew coaching was a natural ability worth pursuing.
GOLF CCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
4/13 - 4/15
TRACK & FIELD BRYAN CLAY INVITATIONAL
4/14 - 4/16
BASEBALL VS SONOMA STATE
4/15 - 4/16
TRACK & FIELD BEACH INVITATIONAL
4/9
SOFTBALL @ CONCORDIA IRVINE
12 PM & 2PM @ IRVINE
4/22 - 4/23
SOFTBALL VS CAL STATE MONTEREY BAY
1PM & 3PM (4/22), 11AM & 1PM (4/23)
4/22 - 4/24
BASEBALL VS CAL POLY POMONA
Athletics
Matt Pennington was the team’s medalist, individually
ALL DAY @ BROOKS
ALL DAY @ AZUSA
3PM (4/14), 12PM & 3PM (4/15), 11AM (4/16) @ CSUSM
ALL DAY @ LONG BEACH
6PM (4/22), 12PM & 3PM (4/23), 12PM (4/24) @ POMONA
earning his spot in the top 10.
Stef Ewing has big plans for CSUSM softball
Ewing knew CSUSM was the school for her.
4/13/2022
Photos courtesy of CSUSM
COACH FEATURE: Softball
Photo courtesy of Athletics Office
Sports Calendar
Her professional start as an assistant coach at New Mexico State led her to find a new position as Head Coach at Cal State University San Marcos. With help from her parents, Ewing saw the beauty of the school. “We could win here, I thought that this place was a goldmine from the minute that I saw it,” Ewing said, “I felt like everything someone would need to be successful was here” She states “As a first time Head Coach, there was an opportunity for me to turn things around and that’s what really felt good.” Since her addition to athletics, the softball program has excelled, obtaining more than a handful of new records. Just recently, the team made it into the top 10 of NCAA Division II ranking. As stated above, the Cougars are ranked No. 8 nationally for the first time in program history. “We have to recruit kids who want to work hard, love softball, and are devoted to it. I think that we have a great group of young ladies. We’ve had a lot of kids that are very committed, they pay attention to the details, and they work hard,” Ewing said. CSUSM is known to be a smaller school, often looked over on the map. This is a fact that Ewing wanted to
change in her transition to the program. She makes sure to let her potential athletes know of this during her recruitment process. “We can win here. We can do things that have never been done here. If you want to help rewrite things and build a foundation, then this is the place for you,” Ewing said. As the team continues their season, Edwing decides to “just focus on one week at a time.” “We are going to take it one day at a time because it has worked for us. Our conference is too strong to overlook or take any team for granted,” said Ewing. Continue to support Coach Ewing’s initiative by supporting the CSUSM softball team during their final matches and watch on as they continue to set records. “What’s hard about being a coach is that you are never satisfied, but that’s what I love about this group. They are also never satisfied. You have to love the struggle because it makes it all worth it. The thing I am most looking forward to is how we are going to end this story. The ending hasn’t been written yet, but I think this team has the ability to write it for themselves,” Ewing said.
TEAM FEATURE: Women’s Lacrosse
Women’s lacrosse plays a strong playoff match and receives silver
Photo courtesy of Lacrosse
The game this weekend held the same vigorous feeling. South Mountain Sports provided a livestream on YouTube of all games played this past weekend, keeping the audience’s eyes open and hearts racing. The Tritons led the regional game, and didn’t let go of it, bringing victory for their school. The final score came out to 12-16, just a 4 point difference. The Spring 2022 season has been nothing short of durability, accountability, and unity. Congratulations Cougars for being awarded 2nd place in the WWLL Regionals! What an amazing season with a 9-2 overall record and a 7 consecutive win streak.
The team bond over their accomplishments. The Championship playoff took place at 10 A.M with BY ZOE SILVA Sports Editor the Cougars and Tritons in the draw circle. The Cougars Last weekend, the have played against UCSD CSUSM Women’s lacrosse once before in an incredibly team competed in their intense game, missing the Division II Western mark by just one point. Women’s Lacrosse League playoffs. Playoffs were hosted in Arizona on the fields of Grand Canyon University, and the Cougars were seeded against UC Santa Cruz for the first day, Saturday, April 9th. Gaining a lead in that first game, San Marcos left the field with a 14-7 win, retiring until Sunday for Championships against UC San Diego whom were seeded against Cal Poly. UCSD won their game with Graphic by Cornell Chuasec a final score of 17- 4, leading the team into their final game The game is nonstop endurance as players battle on Sunday, April 10th. over the ball.