01-22-2020

Wednesday, Jan. 22 - Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020 Weekly Print Edition

Vol. 106, Issue 19 www.thedailyaztec.com

San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

Eyes on the prize

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

20-0

SDSU MISSION VALLEY University releases finalized EIR and new renderings of parks and recreation spaces.

PAGE 2

WE STILL NEED FEMINISM Feminism has made a lot of progress, but more is needed to achieve gender equality.

PAGE 4

Men’s basketball ties program record with 20 straight victories to start the season

DANCE TEAM TAKES TITLE SDSU Dance Team wins Universal Dance Association Division 1A Hip Hop title.

PAGE 9

BEST ALBUMS: 2015–19 The Daily Aztec’s followers chose the best albums over the last five years.

PAGE 10

FOLLOW US /dailyaztec @TheDailyAztec @thedailyaztec /TheDailyAztec

INDEX News............................... 2-3 Opinion.......................... 4-5 Mundo Azteca.................... 7 Sports.............................. 8-9 Arts............................. 10-11 The Back Page.................. 12

Photo by Kareem Jones

by Aaron Tolentino SPORTS EDITOR

The 2010-11 Kawhi Leonardled San Diego State men’s basketball team is widely regarded as the best in program history — a team that finished 34-3 with an WYO 55 a p p e a r a n c e SDSU 72 in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.

That team started a programbest 20-0.

The current 2019-20 Aztecs?

They also started 20-0.

No. 4 SDSU (20-0, 9-0 Mountain West Conference) — along with the matching the longest winning streak in program history of 20 games — has officially tied its best start in school history when the clock hit triple zero in a 72-55 win over Wyoming on Tuesday night at Viejas Arena.

Aztecs head coach Brian Dutcher says it’s an honor to be in the same company as those

great teams in the past.

“I just told them it’s a tremendous honor to be compared to such a great team, but this team has its own identity and its own goals,” Dutcher said. “It feels good but like they said, they don’t have banners for going 20-0, only for conference championships.

We’re trying to win a Mountain West title, and that’s our goal right now.”

It might just be that it’s Dutcher’s job to keep his team

grounded and sweep those praises aside.

Whatever the case may be, the players feel the same way as the coach of the nation’s only undefeated team.

There’s no banner for going 20-0.

“I think that’s great in our ability to have and be up there,” junior forward Matt Mitchell said. “But we don’t get a banner SEE BASKETBALL, PAGE 8

New details emerge about university investigation into death of SDSU freshman Kaitlyn Little & Bella Ross

by

San Diego State is being forced to address questions surrounding the November death of freshman Dylan Hernandez following the release of details from a police investigation into the incident.

An investigation by The San Diego Union-Tribune released Sunday cited a campus police report, showing Hernandez has been drinking on the night he fell off his dorm room bunk bed and cracked his skull, leading to

his death.

The report also details how Phi Gamma Delta members coordinated to bury evidence from the party Hernandez attended on the night of the incident.

Despite evidence that points to fraternity involvement in the incident, the report said campus police has so far failed to interview anybody from Phi Gamma Delta or obtain search warrants to review their cell phones and social media accounts.

In an email to the media, SDSU officials said University Police is not allowed to release details about the investigation while it is ongoing. This means campus officials outside the police department have no access to information about the investigation. This includes President Adela de la Torre and members of the campus communications team.

Two task forces created

by President de la Torre in response to Hernandez’s death are currently assessing potential

changes to the recruitment process for the spring 2020 semester, school officials said.

The press release also clarified that all 14 Interfraternity Council chapters remain on university suspension, barred from hosting any social events outside of academic leadership, philanthropy or community service.

“The chapters (are) absolutely not permitted to host or co-host SEE INVESTIGATION, PAGE 2

2

News

The Daily Aztec

Jan. 22 - Jan. 28, 2020 EDITOR: Kaitlyn Little • news@thedailyaztec.com

CSU, city council to review Mission Valley plans

by Michael Cline ASST. NEWS EDITOR

San Diego State and Schmidt Design Group, the university’s design partner, have unveiled new renderings of the proposed parkland and recreation spaces at the SDSU Mission Valley site.

The university also released a final version of its Environmental Impact Report on Jan. 17 after receiving over 175 letters via public comment.

The new images and final EIR document come ahead of a crucial week of meetings with city officials and the California State University Board of Trustees — both of which could determine how quickly the university can close a deal to purchase the 135-acre parcel and break ground on its university expansion and stadium project.

The university’s proposal to purchase the site for $86.2 million — and pay an additional $1.5 million for the site’s appreciation in value since 2017 — has been under review since SDSU presented a revised offer to the council on Nov. 18. City Attorney Mara Elliott is set to

Image courtesy of Schmidt Design Group

A rendering of basketball courts planned for the south end of SDSU’s Mission Valley expansion project.

present the purchase and sale agreement document to city council on Jan. 27, one day before the CSU Board of Trustees is scheduled to convene its annual two-day meeting to start the year in Long Beach, California.

There, the CSU board will review the final EIR and deliberate the purchase agreement and university’s financing plan.

Image courtesy of Schmidt Design Group

A rendering of soccer pitches planned for the south end of SDSU’s Mission Valley expansion project.

SDSU President Adela de la Torre said the university relied on public outreach and feedback to refine the university’s final EIR document.

“We thank all of those who took the time to learn more about our project and provide valuable input,” de la Torre said.

“We’ve found creative ways to ensure our new campus is both environmentally sound and better connected to our existing campus and the surrounding communities.”

The city attorney’s office has worked to produce the purchase and sale agreement since the council voted unanimously to move forward with the university’s revised offer and plan for the Mission Valley site.

In a Jan. 9 memo to councilmembers, Elliott said the document produced by her office represents the city’s terms and conditions for the sale and transfer of the city-owned property, while both honoring the terms of and remaining consistent with Measure G, the SDSU Mission Valley ballot initiative approved by 54% of San Diego voters in 2018.

Elliott said her office revised the draft purchase and sale agreement — submitted Dec. 20 — after receiving policy input

from city staff, but the city attorney’s office had to interpret important policy and operational issues left unanswered from previous council meetings.

“As this is the city’s largest, most complex land use transaction in decades, it is imperative that you read the (purchase and sale agreement) in its entirety, ask the questions you need resolved, and provide additional input and direction as you see fit,” Elliott said in the memo.

Before the council meeting, SDSU and its project consultant, Schmidt Design Group, released updated renderings of over 80 acres of public recreation and parkland that will accompany a 35,000 seat multi-use stadium, a university expansion, hotels, housing and retail at the Mission Valley site.

The renderings show soccer pitches, basketball courts, and hike and bike trails.

This open space includes a 34-acre River Park the university will build — to be owned by the city of San Diego. The university plans to expand access to the River Park for surrounding neighborhoods through infrastructure improvements, along with an expanded trolley plaza and educational platform to view the river and surrounding habitat.

The university’s final EIR also calls for sustainable development, including limits on the use of natural gas while electrifying buildings and vehicles. With the goal of limiting vehicular traffic at the expansion site and on surrounding roads, the project will include upgrades to traffic signs and cameras, new protected bike lanes on Rio San Diego Drive and additional bike lanes to ensure a continuous bike path exists between SDSU’s main campus and SDSU Mission Valley.

To reduce traffic further, the university also agreed to build a Fenton Parkway bridge and finance the initial costs, estimated to be $22 million, but expects some form of reimbursement from the city.

Student advocates call for financial aid reform in governor’s budget

by Catlan Nguyen STAFF WRITER

Members of three student advocacy organizations from California colleges are calling for financial aid reform to address the affordability crisis facing students across the state.

The Student Senate of the California Community Colleges, the Cal State Student Association and the University of California Student Association released a statement Jan. 10 to request financial aid reform in response to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent state budget proposal.

The statement calls for more funding for student costs beyond tuition, such as transportation, living, textbook costs and more, according to the joint statement from SSCCC, CSSA and UCSA. “We are happy to see Governor Newsom acknowledge the California Student Aid Commission’s Cal Grant Workgroup in his 2020-2021

Investigation:

continued from page 1 any events during the Spring 2020 term that are social in nature and/or have a presence of alcohol and other drugs,” school officials said.

University officials also responded to concerns over the safety of rails for top

budget proposal,” the statement says. “However, without any other investment in financial aid reform, California would not be doing enough to adequately address the affordability crisis students across all segments are currently facing.”

The organizations have pushed for financial aid reform for two years, CSSA President and San Diego State senior Michael Wiafe said.

“There is also no monetary developments for financial aid reform,” Wiafe said. “We are looking forward to continuously working with the legislature and governor to make sure that we are providing support.

The topic of financial aid was not one of importance in the capitol until we were able to really spread the message with our joint effort.”

Their efforts included lobbying, press conferences, budget letters, social media campaigns, in-district advocacy events and door signs to promote student engagement.

“The results that we had was that

our student coalition was the first higher education group to meet with the then-new Gov. Newsom,” Wiafe said. “We had massive engagement with the legislature, with many using the #FixFinancialAid materials and singing our chants in meetings. The main financial aid bills that were produced, AB-1314 and SB-291, called for the workgroup.”

Members of the California Student Aid Commission Cal Grant Workgroup include people from the commission, student representatives and members of relevant research and advocacy organizations.

Wiafe said the commission’s full and formal recommendation outlining financial aid reform is expected to be finished by March for the legislature to consider.

The topic is also the first time the students of the three California state higher education systems have joined together in advocacy, CSSA Vice President of Legislative Affairs and San Jose State Student Grace Pang said.

“Together, our organizations represent the two million students across California who need our leaders in the legislature to fix the broken financial aid system,” Pang said.

Newsom’s proposed budget includes $199 million in ongoing funding to the California State University systems and $6 million for extended and continuing education programs.

This is less than half of the $554 million Wiafe says is needed to fully fund the graduation initiative of 2025, compensation increases, enrollment increases, and infrastructure or mandatory costs.

This budget is different from previous years. Wiafe said the proposal uses lump sums, so there is no specific allocations for the funds. The CSU Chancellor’s Office and CSU Board of Trustees will have to decide where to allocate the funds set aside in the governor’s budget.

The budget will soon be introduced to the California State Legislature for lawmakers to review.

bunks found in many student dorms on campus, saying the school inspects bunk beds regularly to ensure they meet state safety standards.

These concerns gained footing after an anonymous SDSU parent and alumnus lodged a complaint with the U.S. government alleging the residence hall bunk beds are unsafe.

“Professional maintenance personnel inspect bunk bed and lofted railings on

a consistent schedule to ensure that they are installed properly and meet state requirements,” the release said.

In the last five years, only two incidents have been reported regarding the beds, according to university officials. The nature of these occurrences was not clarified.

Rails are installed at the top of the beds and “are produced by national manufacturers and meet California State

Fire Marshal requirements,” the school said.

De la Torre’s task forces are expected to recommend a plan for Greek life on campus moving forward by April 2020.

In the meantime, officials are awaiting the release of Hernandez’s medical examiner’s report.

The report is expected to provide significant insight into the circumstances surrounding his death.

3 News What is SDSU doing to prepare for an active shooter?

Jan. 22 - Jan. 28, 2020 EDITOR: Kaitlyn Little • news@thedailyaztec.com

The Daily Aztec

by Jack Molmud LIVE EDITOR

Junior Evan Conway studies history at San Diego State. But before college, his life was almost cut short by an active shooter.

Conway was living in the Bay Area a few years ago when an active shooter situation threatened his local high school.

The shooter’s motive, a recent breakup, led the student to walk onto Homestead High School with a loaded gun. This was all it took for Conway and many other teenagers to barricade the entire second floor before police officers responded.

This ongoing phenomenon has affected communities across California — from shootings at a Poway synagogue to Saugus High School in Santa Clarita. The casualties range from just a few injured to countless lives taken.

And like schools across the country, SDSU is no stranger to gun violence.

A campus shooting in 1996 left three professors dead, and many spaces around campus have remained the same infrastructurally since then, making them vulnerable to a future potential aggressor. For many newer buildings, this is less so the case.

And a broad range of construction dates for buildings throughout campus means classroom doors are different in Hepner Hall, Storm Hall and Adams Humanities, to name a few. These doors would be the first line of defence in an active shooter scenario, making them an important safety consideration.

SDSU is a large public space, but there is no way to lock some of these doors in the event of an active shooter — a critical safety concern.

The grim realization that there is no way to lock many campus doors is pronounced in the remedies provided in the university’s active shooter training, which focuses on the run, hide and fight model.

ACTIVE SHOOTER RESPONSE TRAINING AND THE CONCERNS SDSU Police has held active shooter response training sessions for 11 years, campus police

Image courtesy of SDSU Newscenter

An advertisement for the university’s active shooter training.

Corporal Mark Peterson said.

Since formulated in 2008, he said the training has evolved after studying student input as well as outcomes in recent tragedies, such as the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Peterson said some students have improvised barricades by moving a table on its side, so it is wider than the door, then looping a belt between the table and door handle to prevent it from opening.

“There is no set standard for every set door on campus,” Peterson said. “Every door is different. Not every door has the closing hinge on it, so you may have to think of something creative.”

Many classrooms have doors that would fall into this category, but others also have tables and chairs bolted into the ground, making doors nearly impossible to barricade with furniture.

Jayla Lee, a research professor in the Journalism and Media Studies department, said she had concerns over the enforcement of the active shooter response training as well as the inability to lock her classroom doors.

“As an instructor myself, that is an unsettling feeling that the only thing I can rely on to close up my classroom is our supplies,” Lee said. “In both of my classrooms the desks are bolted to the ground so it would be difficult to find something to block the door completely.”

She said her concerns over the health of her students has increased since seeing news about repeated lockdowns at colleges around California, including CSU Los Angeles and CSU Long Beach.

On Oct. 7, a threat of a gunman on the Long Beach campus prompted a lockdown until one suspect was arrested.

Although no one was hurt, the panic and lockdown in classrooms brought up an important issue: none of the classrooms mentioned could be locked.

In a stream of tweets, many students complained they had to stack chairs as tall as the doors to barricade the entrances.

Lee said people working at the active shooter training told her obtaining a key would be impossible at the moment but it may be discussed in the future.

“I would love to have access to keys to my classroom, but unfortunately that is not the case right now,” Lee said. “I would like to think that students on this campus are prepared, but with recent news at other CSUs, I’m not sure that’s the case.”

WHY CAN’T TEACHERS LOCK THEIR DOORS? Corporal Peterson said providing key access to teachers is up to access control, which monitors all hard keys and access cards that open facilities around campus.

A statement from the university facilities department, which oversees access control, said all

buildings have exterior doors that can be locked, but due to fire safety standards, most interior classrooms cannot be locked, even in the event of an emergency. This prevents teachers from securing their doors if there is no barricade available.

“Not every space is secure enough to lock yourself in,” Peterson said. “If it is not suitable, we would recommend going to another space that is more suitable. It’s not an easy thing to talk about, but we try to make it palatable for most people to be there and be engaged and actively think about the situation.”

Facilities said in the statement that they are working toward a more uniform exterior lock system on buildings, but there is no lock system in place yet for interior doors. Until an improved and uniform approach to exterior locks is implemented, the complexity of shutting down all buildings on campus remains an imperative concern.

INCREASING ACTIVE SHOOTER RESPONSE TRAINING ATTENDANCE Others like instructer Lee say the fact active shooter response training sessions are optional leaves many SDSU community members uninformed.

“I personally believe that everyone on campus should be required to take an active shooter training,” Lee said.

Even though it is not required, Peterson said certain departments recommend their staff go through the training. But as of now, university officials have not commented on whether making these sessions a campus-wide requirement would be feasible.

“That’s not something that is in the hands of the police department,” Peterson said.

“It would be up to the faculty associations on campus to see if that is something they would want to do.”

Although campus police did not have any statistics available regarding the active shooter prevention training participation rate, Peterson said increasing access was a key priority.

“I would like everyone who wants to be in a training to have access to it,” he said.

Political science senior Ricardo

Castro said he did not know the university offered active shooter trainings.

“I feel safe around campus, even though it is a public space,” he said. “I grew up in El Centro, and (I) don’t hear nearly as much (about) crimes now that I live here.”

Castro said he would still be reluctant to attend an active shooter training if it were more heavily enforced around campus.

“It takes time to learn the skills, and I think offering them as oneunit courses would encourage students to take it,” he said.

There may never be a catch-all answer to stopping gun violence in public educational spaces, but there are many early preventative measures to consider in boosting shooter prevention training attendance and infrastructural safety.

Conway now spends his days working for Associated Students under the housing department and helps university police execute the active shooter response training.

He said through his work, and in participating in the active shooter response training, the university has taken appropriate measures to address tragedies from across the state and country and turn lessons into preparation.

He also said finding a way to secure doors quickly would solve a lot of student and faculty concerns.

“You need to tell yourself that at the end of every day, you will make it home safe. That is how you get yourself out of every situation,” Conway said. “In regard to the safety of students, there needs to be a way of locking the door. I’m sure there is something we can use to lock doors without giving teachers a key to every single room.”

Lee said the university has a lot of space to improve the program going forward.

“We are about education at the university and promote preparation,” Lee said. “I would rather be prepared in that approach than wait for an issue and have to deal with it later.

“I think this is a great time to learn from the other CSU’s and not end up as the next trend on Twitter.”

4

Opinion

The Daily Aztec

Jan. 22 - 28, 2020 EDITOR: Catherine Van Weele • opinion@thedailyaztec.com

We still need feminism to enact social change

by Catherine OPINION EDITOR

Van Weele

Women and feminist activists have made tremendous progress over the last several decades.

The workplace, the home and the many other spaces surrounding issues of femininity have been transformed as society has become increasingly more egalitarian.

So much so that many argue there is no longer a need for a feminist movement.

But to say that complete equality between men and women has been achieved is ignorant to the injustices against women that occur every day in the nation and around the world.

While we can certainly acknowledge the feats of preceding feminist movements, we cannot overlook the progress yet to be made.

There are many facets of American society in which women are still in a position of inferiority.

School was historically a place meant only for men, but today there are more women enrolled in college than men.

Nevertheless, despite accounting for 57% of undergraduate degrees and 59% of master’s degrees, women still lag behind in the workforce.

The wage gap remains prevalent with women making merely 85 cents for every dollar a man makes in 2018.

And, women are not often found in positions of authority or leadership. Men make up the majority of Congress and Fortune 500 CEO’s, and the trend follows for most other industries. Study after study shows how women are treated differently than men by their employers, coworkers and clients.

Photo by Bella Ross

Protestors at the 2020 Women’s March on Jan. 18

Likewise, the media reinforces harmful gender stereotypes and constructs unrealistic standards for women to be held to. It

mainstream media perpetuates the image of the perfect body feeding into the insecurities of women of all ages. The emphasis

“While we can certainly acknowledge the feats of preceding feminist movements, we cannot overlook the progress yet to be made.” continues to lack diversity and it portrays women as onedimensional caricatures.

Body image issues are something all too familiar for most women, and the

on Eurocentric beauty standards and the glorification of the nuclear family amplifies these insecurities for women of color.

One the most contentious feminist issues is over

reproductive health care. The Supreme Court has affirmed a woman’s right to contraception and abortion decades ago.

That said, the movement aiming to prohibit women from autonomy over their own bodies remains robust. Women endure geographical and financial barriers that prevent them from exercising their rights, while additionally facing an onslaught of legislative bills limiting abortion services.

Perhaps the foremost drive of today’s feminist movement is sexual assault and harassment.

Sexual assault and harassment remain all too common place, especially on college campuses.

While these offenses have been happening for a long time, it was the #MeToo Movement that thrusted this matter into the spotlight.

By alleviating the shame that so often accompanies discussing sexual traumas, the #MeToo Movement opened up a dialogue for women everywhere to share the stories. Now, the demand for proper resources and procedures for cases of sexual assault is stronger than ever. Women seek to change social norms and create safe environments, particularly in the workplace.

These are just the major issues for the feminist movement of today and there are still many other matters that must be addressed. Women have the power and resources today to bring about a successful feminist movement and change society for the better.

To make the world a place of justice, freedom and humanity, we need feminism. Our work here is far from over.

Catherine Van Weele is a sophomore studying political science. Follow her on Twitter @catievanweele.

If you fail your New Year’s resolution, don’t give up

by Patrick Doyle STAFF WRITER

Earlier this month I was talking with a family friend who owns and operates a successful donut shop in Lakeside. Owning a donut shop comes with a variety of challenges, but the most interesting to me was the fact that at the beginning of every new year, from about Jan. 1 to the 15, the business experiences less profit due to the amount of people who have given up sugar and sweets as part of their New Year’s resolutions.

But after the 15th, he told me business is normally back to usual. That’s because two weeks seems to be the standard expiration date for most people’s new year goals.

The same trend can be seen in other businesses. Gym memberships usually spike at the beginning of a new year, but then subside as it continues.

People want to make a positive change in their lives, but are typically most motivated only during the first few weeks.

Almost every one of us has failed a New Year’s resolution.

Some of us don’t even make any because we know we’d likely fail either way. There seems to be this stigma with resolutions that if you are going to fail at them, there is no point in trying.

I want us to break from that mindset.

At the beginning of 2020, I forgot to make resolutions. I didn’t really think about it until New Year’s Eve, and by that time I was having too much fun with family and friends to care. It wasn’t until several days into January that I remembered I could have used this year to turn a new leaf and accomplish the goals I’ve always wanted to work towards.

I felt like it was too late. I felt I needed to wait until next year to really turn that new leaf. But that is an awful way of thinking, and I realized this a few days later.

So I then did something I recommend everybody do to start this new year right. I made a list of five substantial things

I would change about myself and try to achieve this year, ranging from spending less time on YouTube to playing the guitar more. So far I have found this to be extremely helpful in motivating me to better myself as a person. I was afraid it was too late for me to really turn a new leaf this year, but it was not.

And the best part of my list of resolutions is that I’ve already failed them all! I haven’t played the guitar everyday, and I haven’t limited my time on YouTube as much as I should. But that’s what makes my resolutions so effective: they are difficult. I didn’t pick five pointless tasks that wouldn’t help me grow.

I didn’t settle for trivial goals which I would finish in a week.

Real change takes time, so your resolutions need to reflect that.

Therefore, you should not be afraid to fail your resolutions — not even in the slightest.

They exist to be failed, then to be remedied and improved upon. They should take time to get right, and if they don’t,

you aren’t aiming high enough.

When you fail one, try it again.

There is no rule that says resolutions must begin at the start of a year. If you need to, make another list in February, and another in July and another in November. It doesn’t

“Real change takes time, so your resolutions need to reflect that.” matter. All that matters is your willingness to accept consistent and incremental change in your life, as such change will become substantial over time.

So make your list of New Year’s resolutions, and never be afraid to fail and start again.

Patrick Doyle is a freshman studying journalism and political science.

EDITOR IN CHIEF Bella Ross MANAGING EDITOR Dana Tsuri-Etzioni NEWS EDITOR Kaitlyn Little ASST. NEWS EDITOR Michael Cline OPINION EDITOR Catherine Van Weele MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR Alejandra Luna ASST. MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR Diane Lopez ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Ceighlee Fennel SPORTS EDITOR Aaron Tolentino ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Kyle Betz ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Roxanna Becerril PHOTO EDITOR Alexa Oslowski MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Amal Younis ASST. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Jack Molmud GRAPHIC DESIGNER Emily Burgess VOLUNTEER COPYEDITOR Noah Goldbloom

STAFF WRITERS Trinity Bland Patrick Doyle Ryan Hardison Breven Honda Antonio Márquez Catlan Nguyen Charlie Vargas Devin Whatley SENIOR STAFF WRITERS Kelly Kerrigan Johann Derek Oribello ________________________________ ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Bryan Diamond ________________________________ GENERAL MANAGER/ADVISER Jay Harn GRAPHIC DESIGN SPECIALIST Luis Valenzuela ________________________________

EDITORIAL 619.594.4190 editor@thedailyaztec.com ADVERTISING 619.594.6977 advertising@thedailyaztec.com PRINT The Daily Aztec publishes 5,000 copies of its weekly print edition every Wednesday throughout the semester WEB Daily content is available at www.thedailyaztec.com QUESTIONS/COMMENTS letters@thedailyaztec.com The views and opinions expressed in this issue do not necessarily reflect those of The Daily Aztec.

FOLLOW US /dailyaztec @TheDailyAztec @thedailyaztec /DailyAztecVideo

Jan. 22 - 28, 2020 EDITOR: Catherine Van Weele • opinion@thedailyaztec.com

Opinion

The Daily Aztec

5

Focus on growth rather than perfectionism

by Trinity Bland STAFF WRITER

Author, journalist and opinion columnist Anna Quindlen said, “the thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.”

I’ve been a hardcore perfectionist ever since I can remember. I can boldly proclaim from a mountaintop that the outrageous struggle I have with striving to be perfect in literally everything I put my mind to do is exhausting, to say the very least. Being a student leader, writer, creator, the oldest of my siblings and a woman — a woman of color, to be frank — chasing perfection in everything I do may be the biggest struggle I face going about my daily life.

With every word I speak or write, every note I play on my keyboard or guitar and practically every project I am apart of, there comes an inner obligatory need for me to be flawless. If what I do doesn’t meet my standard of perfection, in addition to being disappointed in myself, I am beyond uncomfortable with the entire project.

It wasn’t until I got to college that I came to terms with the reality that in my quest

and attempts to be perfect in everything I do, I wasn’t really living. I continually hindered myself from embracing my very own process of growth by striving for perfectionism.

Perfectionists like myself spend so much time in an endless pursuit for everything to be perfect. We end up missing out on what life is really about: being present in each moment and experiencing life where we are, as we are. Many people who strive for perfection in their daily lives — wanting to plan it out step-by-step and have it go exactly how they believe it should — end up missing out on some of life’s best surprises and most meaningful moments.

I, too, am guilty of this.

There are times when we try so hard to reach a degree of perfection that is nearly impossible. However, I am learning that perfection cannot be attained. Agendas change, conflicts emerge and it is all inevitable.

When we begin to understand that perfection isn’t actually something we can reach and maintain forever, we can finally let go of the never-ending quest for perfection with our body, our career and our relationships.

Once we indulge in the idea of letting go of perfection, life

is smoother, less stressful and much more enjoyable, especially for hardcore perfectionists like me.

We must also realize that perfection isn’t authentic either.

Besides feeling excessive levels of stress, pressure and anxiety, when perfection is my goal, my passion for the things I love to do can get lost in the midst of my strongest attempts to be flawless.

I can’t really think of a time where I have given myself the chance to truly be patient with myself in whatever task is at hand while simultaneously attempting to attain perfection. I thought when I’d reached perfection, I’d find satisfaction in my efforts.

However, since the pursuit of perfection is an endless chase, the satisfaction never came.

Only when I had the courage to work toward breaking my perfectionist mindset was I fully able to bring my true self to the world. This was the first moment I began to find the inner satisfaction I was craving all along. This process isn’t easy or comfortable for me, but surely, it is incredibly freeing.

When we’ve demanded perfection from ourselves for years, it can be scary to let go of our customs and let the world see us authentically. However, this is where your true beauty resides,

Graphic by Emily Burgess

not in perfection, but in bringing all of who you are to the world.

Nothing is ever meant to be perfect in life. If that were the case, there would be no such thing as growth and evolution.

Therefore, allow yourself to show up in the world as you are.

Allow yourself to make mistakes.

Allow yourself to learn. Whether you perform badly on a test, get into a quarrel with a relative, express feelings to a close friend and have it all come out wrong or experiment with a new hobby knowing it is likely one that you will never master, embrace this journey. “Mistakes” like these turn into lessons that allow us to

incorporate feedback and work towards being better people.

Perfection isn’t something you can achieve because it doesn’t actually exist. As I am on this route to shattering my own perfectionist mindset, I encourage you to do the same if you share this same struggle. Rest in the truth that the imperfect, flawed, vulnerable, talented and unique you is enough. Trading perfectionism for being patient with yourself and in your growth is the first step to becoming you.

Trinity Bland is a sophomore studying journalism. Follow her on Twitter @trinityaliciaa.

Students should be taught about protecting their data

by Charlie Vargas STAFF WRITER

The beginning of a new decade can evoke reflection on our individual or collective milestones. One of the most significant developments over the past decade is in the advancements of technology, specifically in how valuable personal data has become.

Think of personal data like a unique marker of your identity in the digital world. The more interaction with an application or a digital platform, the more insightful and invaluable your marker becomes.

Data collection allows business entities to target individuals by advertising what they perceive their likely interest is. The value of personal data can also be harmful if it isn’t thoroughly protected.

The New York Times’ Privacy Project went into detail about how personal data, such as location services, can be a tool of surveillance by corporations and governments. In 2018, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg faced congressional questioning about how Cambridge Analytica harvested data collected from users during the 2016 presidential election.

This demonstrates how the utilization of personal data is also employed in political campaigns.

Dave Leichtman, director of Program Strategy at Microsoft’s Defending Democracy Program and vice-chair for Technology and Communications of the Democratic Party of Virginia,

Graphic by Emily Burgess

wrote an article where he described how relational organizing uses data to help build support for campaigns.

Relational organizing is built on friend to friend contact. In practice, it relies on one friend to reach out to another about a particular candidate or issue.

The idea is that the message is better received by a friend than a stranger attempting to pitch that same candidate or issue.

Now, combining this type of organizing with data can provide an edge to political campaigns.

Leichtman said relational organizing “allows campaign data teams to focus on two very important pieces of data that were too hard to track before: namely, for every voter who’s the best person in their network to contact them, and what’s the best

way to do so.”

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is using relational organizing in an unprecedented manner. At the same time, President Trump uses the combination of that same style of organizing and location tracking technology to target voters.

Personal data is precious to the entities that collect and sell it. It is likely why over the last two years, politicians and even a few celebrities have advocated data as a human right and for increased individual data ownership.

In 2018, Rep. Ro Khanna of California’s 17th Congressional district, home to large portions of Silicon Valley, proposed an “internet bill of rights,” which drew bipartisan support for better personal data protection.

Earlier in the year, Europe had

already enforced the General Protection Data Regulation, which allows consumers to have better control over how their data is shared and used by companies. It requires companies to let consumers know of any data breaches within 72 hours and fines them 4% of their annual earnings if they fail to comply. Last year, California passed a similar bill that took into effect Jan. 1 called the California Consumer Privacy Act. The law allows consumers to ask employers and companies to see the data collected on them, to delete personal data when requested, and to opt-out of any sale of their data.

Absent from all of these conversations of data rights is an agenda to develop personal data literacy, which can be acquired through our educational institutions. With technology changing rapidly, there should be an educational requirement that is continuously updated for people interested in protecting and preserving their privacy online.

The education of online privacy should begin in middle school and extend itself into community college and university courses for those who didn’t have the option offered to them in their education. Allowing people to learn how they can protect their privacy online could be a substantial benefit to those not fully understanding how to control personal data.

It would be especially useful to younger generations who are growing up in a world where

technology is more intermingled in their everyday lives. In 2016, Vox published an article that compiled some of the findings of three studies of young adult internet users. One of the studies surveyed 13 to 17-year-olds, while two other studies focused on users between the ages of 18 and 29 and another on 19 to 35 olds. The findings provided results that show some of the privacy and data concerns these age groups have and how they manage it.

According to the Vox article, each age group has different priorities for their privacy online.

The commonality in the three studies is that people between the ages of 13 and 35 would still like some control over their data.

The need and desire for data literacy are present in these age groups and should be delivered through comprehensive courses in our education system. There is no reason that people should be left to learn these strategies on their own.

If the conversation around data rights does not involve education, it will lack a foundation for consumers to understand how to control their data. If people are unequipped with the knowledge to effectively manage their data, there is plenty of room for the efforts of consumers to fall short of protection. Education would be a sustainable effort, but first, it must become part of the dialogue of data rights.

Charlie Vargas is a senior studying journalism. Follow him on Twitter @CharlieVargas19.

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Jan 22 - 28, 2020 EDITOR: Alejandra Luna • mundoazteca@thedailyaztec.com

Mundo Azteca

The Daily Aztec

7

La fotografía como medio de persuasión por Antonio ESCRITOR

Márquez

a la discriminación de las minorías. Salgado ha sido una pieza importante para la carrera de Soto, ya que lo ayudó a identificar quién era él en esta sociedad.

“En sus dibujos, yo me vi a mi mismo y quería crear algo igual pero diferente con mi fotografía”, aseguró Soto.

Estudiantes de la Universidad Estatal de San Diego formaron parte de una de sus exhibiciones de fotografía, que se presentó en el Museo de Arte Fotográfico en el Parque Balboa en el 2018.

“Mi mamá siempre me cargaba con colores y libretas para dibujar”, recordó Beto Soto, artista de fotografía y pintura.

“En una forma me lo daba para no enfocarme en lo que mis padres estaban pasando”.

A la edad de seis años, Soto y su familia emigraron a EE.UU. en busca de una mejor calidad de vida. Sin embargo, para el artista y su familia no ha sido nada fácil el vivir en un país, donde no hay muchas oportunidades para las personas indocumentadas.

Los golpes y los problemas que enfrentó desde pequeño, los comenzó a plasmar en fotografías o un lienzo para transmitir sus sentimientos y hablar de él mismo a la comunidad.

“Lo que ahorita me inspira es expresar mis pensamientos y abrir mi persona”, dijo Soto. “Me siento muy inseguro y el arte me empodera a seguir adelante, a ser creativo y a conectar con la gente”.

Este joven artista no solo ha dedicado su corta vida al arte, sino también comenzó el proyecto, Undocuqueer, el cual es dedicado a las personas indocumentados, quienes

Beto Soto desea que las comunidades minoritarias sigan con sus sueños.

forman parte de la comunidad LGBTQ+.

Según Soto, este proyecto se basa en historias de personas que han sufrido discriminación en este país y comparten sus experiencias como un inmigrante que busca cumplir sus sueños.

“Undocuqueer e historias de

Eventos como este es lo que motiva a Soto a que la comunidad pueda ver más allá de lo que es ser un indocumentado y LGBTQ+.

Además, algunos proyectos que se han llevado a cabo en San Diego fueron otro factor fundamental para expresarse y crear diferentes perspectivas.

“Quería crear un tipo de apoyo para la gente que son parte de la comunidad LGTBQ+ y son indocumentados, que no tienen los medios donde ellos son representados”.

Cortesía de Beto Soto

Undocuqueer empezó cuando mucha gente indocumentada se interesó en la historia”, señaló Soto.

Una de las mayores inspiraciones para Beto, como lo llaman sus conocidos, es Julio Salgado, artista LGBTQ+ e indocumentado, que con sus coloridos dibujos hace énfasis

Cortesía de Beto Soto

Soto empezó a pintar desde muy pequeño, estos son algunos de sus trabajos.

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8

Sports

The Daily Aztec

Jan. 22 - 28, 2020 EDITOR: Aaron Tolentino • sports@thedailyaztec.com

Hernandez’s middle school prediction turns into reality

by Breven Honda STAFF WRITER

Before entering high school, a counselor has students write what their future will entail.

Some never come true, but for San Diego State freshman guard/ forward Isabela Hernandez, it did.

In eighth grade, Hernandez predicted that she would play basketball at SDSU but lost knowledge of that letter in the years that followed.

“I had forgotten about that letter until I got it after I graduated high school,” Hernandez said. “Looking back at it, I’m like ‘Wow, that’s crazy.’

Just seeing that come true, it makes me so happy.”

Head coach Stacie TerryHutson said the coaches – including herself – were unfamiliar with the letter at the beginning of Hernandez’s recruitment.

“I didn’t know until we were well into the recruiting process,” Terry-Hutson said. “She was someone that we knew, and we still feel that we got a steal. If she was playing (Amateur Athletic Union basketball) on a more exposed team, I don’t know if she comes to San Diego State.”

Hernandez brings some talent to SDSU as she won two state championships while attending

Lynden Christian High School in Washington.

Terry-Hutson said she wants players like Hernandez in her program who have played in a winning program.

“She’s a winner, knows how to win and I like to have kids that have experienced it,” TerryHutson said. “And that’s the approach that she’s taking to her individual game, getting better within the season. She is putting in extra work, she’s meeting with my assistant coaches to get the shots up.”

Hernandez said the transition period from high school to college has gone smoother than expected from former high school teammates.

“It has been pretty easy, actually,” Hernandez said. “I kind of knew what to expect.

I had teammates that played Division I so they’ve told me a little bit about it.”

Despite getting prior knowledge from former teammates, one thing that changed for Hernandez is the schedule.

Hernandez said the bulk of the games in January has benefitted her. “(The schedule is) busy,” Hernandez said. “It’s very different than high school, but having the chunk of our season during winter break has been

helpful, not having to worry about school, so that has stress off our shoulders.”

Another person who connects with Hernandez in the program is junior guard Téa Adams.

Adams said the best part about Hernandez being in the program is the camaraderie the two have built being both Washington natives.

“I love it,” said Adams.

“We actually got to be on the same flight for Christmas. It’s awesome that we know the same people and are from the same area.”

The three starting guards – Adams, sophomore Sophia Ramos and senior Taylor Kalmer – all stand below 5-foot-10.

Despite Ramos, Adams and Kalmer being shorter than Hernandez, who is 6-foot-2, they have each given advice to the freshman.

“It’s good because Sophia is a sophomore, I’m a junior and Taylor is a senior,” Adams said.

“She’s a lot taller than we are and she brings a different dynamic, but we can mentor in that aspect in what we are able to bring.”

Ramos, who started 31 games last season as a freshman, is roommates with Hernandez.

The two have had discussions including Ramos telling Hernandez how to focus on the next game.

said of the improvement on offense. “Nobody is selfish on this team. We all want everyone to shine.”

Notable: Sophomore forward Aguek Arop went into the locker room with about 13 minutes left in the game.

From the looks of it, he appeared to have grabbed his right shoulder — the injury that kept him out of action for over a month.

Arop was just in his fourth game back since returning

against Boise State at home on Jan. 11.

However, according to Dutcher, Arop told the team he was fine after the game. Dutcher said he has yet to talk to Sergio Ibarra, the team’s athletic trainer.

The team is off Wednesday, so expect an update on Arop in the next couple days.

Photo by Aaron Tolentino

Hernandez drives to the basket against Fresno State on Jan. 15 at Viejas Arena.

“(Ramos) tells me to continue to battle,” Hernandez said. “Not every game is going to be good, but put that in the past and look towards the future and use that as motivation.”

The advice is influential, especially coming from a player that made the Mountain West all-freshman team a year ago.

Not only does Ramos have faith in Hernandez, but so does Terry-Hutson.

Terry-Hutson believes that Hernandez can be a forefront player in the next three years.

“I’m grateful that she is here,” Terry-Hutson said. “Her upside and her growth is so positive for us in our program and she is going to work her way up into this league.”

Breven Honda is a junior studying journalism. Follow him on Twitter @BrevenHonda.

Basketball:

continued from page 1 for being 20-0, so we have got to keep pushing.”

Junior guard Malachi Flynn said the 2010-11 team accomplished greater things than starting 20-0, and that’s what he intends the Aztecs to do as well.

“It’s good we’re up there with arguably the best team here,” Flynn said. “They didn’t stop there. They went on to the Sweet Sixteen, so we got a lot more work to do to even be in that conversation with that team.”

Back on Jan. 8, the Aztecs went into elevation in Laramie and defeated the Cowboys 7252. Three Aztecs scored in double figures: Flynn scored 19, senior forward Yanni Wetzell scored 17 and junior guard Jordan Schakel scored 11.

On Tuesday night, SDSU also scored 72 points, but this time four Aztecs hit double figures.

Flynn had 18, Wetzell had 14 and Schakel once again had 11.

Mitchell added 15 points.

The Aztecs shot 25-for-46 (54%) overall and 9-for-20 (45%) from deep, displaying another efficient offensive performance.

Collectively, they are more offensively efficient than they were last year (43% shooting overall and averaging 71 points per game).

This season, they are shooting 46% from the field and are averaging 74 points per game.

“I think our spacing is just great. The coaches did a great job with our offense of setting it up.

As players, we just fully bought in from the summer,” Mitchell

Aaron Tolentino is a senior studying journalism. Follow him on Twitter @atolent2.

Photos by Kareem Jones

Aztecs defeat Wyoming 72-55 to remain undefeated at 20-0 on Tuesday at Viejas Arena.

Jan. 22 - 28, 2020 EDITOR: Aaron Tolentino • sports@thedailyaztec.com

Sports

The Daily Aztec

9

SDSU Dance Team crowned UDA Division 1A national champions

Courtesy of SDSU Dance Team

The SDSU Dance Team won its national title by placing first in the Division 1A Hip Hop competition in Orlando, Florida.

by Devin Whatley STAFF WRITER

The San Diego State Dance Team won the 2020 Universal Dance Academy College Division IA Hip-Hop Dance National Championships, beating out

UNLV and LSU on Jan. 20 at Orlando, Florida.

Despite having only been in existence for eight years, the team placed in the top three of the championships last year. The national title is the team’s first in school history.

Head coach Kaitlin Collins said bringing home a national championship is an honor.

“This is only our eighth year at this competition,” she said. “To win this year was such an honor to go from third to first and be recognized as one of the best of

the best. To be acknowledged as part of that caliber is an honor.”

The competition featured wel established programs such as University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Lousiana State University and Memphis. Each of those teams have been in contention for the national title for the past 15 years.

Interdisciplinary studies senior Claudia Brower described the announcement of SDSU being named champion as an “epiphany-like” moment.

“I felt like everything that we put in made sense,” she said.

Interdisciplinary studies senior and team captain Nicole Mendrala said placing first felt surreal.

“I blacked out for a second,” Mendrala said. “This was a moment that we’ve all been dreaming of, and there was one point where I thought it was impossible. The teams we went against were so talented and established. To be next to them was such an honor, and we were when we heard out name called, I was so taken aback that I still can’t even believe it.

SDSU put themselves through extensive preparation in order to get ready for this moment.

It included 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. practices, skipping holiday breaks to work on routines and spending countless hours

rehearsing.

The love and support the women received pushed them through the challenging times.

Many family members, friends and alumni came out to the championships to support the team.

“What kept us going was all of the support we were getting,” Mendrala said. “We had alumni helping us out, our coaches were motivating us. It was a tough couple of weeks, but it all paid off and we did the best we could do as a team.

“It was so nice to see their faces and see how proud they were. It made us feel so thankful that we have such a community.

It’s so much bigger than just our team, its a whole tribe of people who always support us and want the best for us.”

Looking ahead, Collins has one goal in mind for the future of the program: “continue growing.”

“Our goal is to always continue growing,” the coach said. “We always want to push ourselves to be the very best we can be, and that’s the real plan.

We want our members to always be striving better to grow from your experiences and continue pushing forward.”

Devin Whatley is a sophomore studying journalism. Follow him on Twitter @devinwhatley.

Long retires after nine years as Aztecs’ head coach Rocky Long retires as the second-winningest head coach in program history (most wins in Mountain West history), along with winning three MW championships and two MW Coach of the Year honors on the Mesa.

by Aaron Tolentino SPORTS EDITOR

After 11 seasons at San Diego State and nine as Aztecs football head coach, Rocky Long announced on Jan. 8 he is retiring.

Defensive line coach Brady Hoke will replace Long as the football program’s head coach, SDSU Athletic Director J.D. Wicker said.

“I want to thank everyone at this university and this community that has allowed us to be successful,” Long said.

“I’ve been a head coach for 20 years. It’s time. I love coaching, but I don’t love everything that head coaches have to do. It’s time for me to leave.”

The press conference on Jan. 8 was probably the closest the public will get to seeing a guy like Long get emotional and almost shed a tear.

Long said the best part of the program has been the great young men he was able to coach.

“Because they’re not in school, I would have rather done it in person. I sent out a personal text to all of them today,” he said. “They know where I’m coming from. Some people don’t understand this: a coach and player, we have a special bond and a special relationship that no one else needs to know about.”

With The Athletic’s Bruce

Feldman tweeting that Wednesday morning there was disagreement between Long and administration about making staff changes, it is interesting Long would make the decision to retire now.

Long, who guided the Aztecs to a program-record of nine straight bowl appearances (one of five coaches nationally to accomplish such feat), told Wicker he was pondering the decision even before the New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 21.

After coming back from Christmas vacation, Long told Wicker he was going to retire.

Once he mentioned he was retiring from SDSU to his friends who were college coaches, Long received phone calls about a coaching job elsewhere.

There were reports that Long was in contact with other schools about defensive coordinator jobs, so Long has not ruled out the possibility of coming back to coach – just not as head coach.

Long said he listened to those coaches inquiring about those jobs and even visited a couple of those schools. That’s where the tweet from Pete Thamel of Yahoo! Sports on Monday saying Long visited Syracuse stems from.

What are the chances Long returns to coaching at a different program?

“As of this point, I’m retired, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to listen to anything they

have to say,” Long said. “I’m tired of being the head coach, but I love coaching. The most fun I’ve had coaching was when I coached the DBs and coaching the secondary and coaching the defense for Brady Hoke.”

Don’t rule out the possibility of Long returning as a defensive coordinator or positional coach

on the defense.

Long’s replacement at head coach is both SDSU’s 17th and 19th.

Wicker wasn’t sure whether to call him the 17th or 19th head coach of the Aztecs since this is Hoke’s second stint at the position.

Either way, Hoke was the

Aztecs’ head coach from 2009 to 2010 and compiled a 1312 record before leaving to be Michigan’s head coach. That’s when Long took over as head coach at the Mesa.

Aaron Tolentino is a senior studying journalism. Follow him on Twitter @atolent2.

Photo by Kareem Jones

Rocky Long gives his final interviews to the media as head coach of San Diego State football on Jan. 8.

10

The Daily Aztec

Arts & Culture

Jan. 22 - 28, 2020 EDITOR: Ceighlee Fennel • arts@thedailyaztec.com

Best albums over past five years

by Ryan Hardison STAFF WRITER

country of Australia, while becoming his first top-ten entry on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, debuting at number four.

Since our first installment of the decade’s best albums poll in December, followers of the The Daily Aztec Twitter page have continued to vote on their favorite collections of the year.. The following albums are a few of the most acclaimed and celebrated works of art over the past five years, earning numerous Grammy awards, Platinum plaques and even a Pulitzer Prize. Here are the final results.

2016: Beyoncé, “Lemonade” The meaning behind the album’s title of “Lemonade” is the tradition of passing down ways of overcoming hardships referred to as “lemonade-making” from older generations of black women to the present. The album’s production spans numerous eras of sound over the 12-song tracklist, including R&B, gospel, trap and folk music.

“Lemonade” is Beyoncé’s most personal album to date as it chronicles her experiences with fear, infidelity and forgiveness while being married to Jay-Z. To accompany the album, Beyoncé released a 65 minute visual album that premiered on HBO the night of the album’s streaming release on Tidal.

The film featured music videos for the album’s entire tracklist along with many special guests including Serena Williams, Zendaya and Beyoncé’s daughter, Blue Ivy. The album’s electro-R&B breakup anthem “Sorry” received lots of attention from her “Beyhive” legion of fans due to suspicion surrounding the line, “He better call Becky with the good hair.” The Beyhive and other listeners believed that in this line, Beyoncé was referring to JayZ’s rumoured mistress.

Since the album’s release, Jay-Z and Beyoncé have both opened up about their relationship troubles and infidelity. They still remain married to this day.

2015: Tame Impala, “Currents” Tame Impala, a.k.a. Kevin Parker, is a one-man band who produces, mixes and sings on all of his records.

Parker’s third studio album, “Currents”, marks his transition from his previous psychedelic rock albums towards synth pop, disco and R&B. While recording the album, Parker told the Guardian he was influenced to make a synth-heavy disco album when he listened to “Staying Alive” by the Bee Gees, while under the influence of mushrooms.

The melancholy lyrics and theme of the album were inspired by Parker’s recent break up with singer Melody Prochet.

Although Parker’s lyrics champion personal growth while getting older, his struggles to cope after a painful breakup are put on display throughout the album.

The album’s signature song “The Less I Know the Better” has a strong disco influence and highlights Parker’s insecurities toward relationships.

The album appeared on many critics’ year-end lists, including being named the fifth best album of 2015 by Pitchfork.

Besides the critical success, “Currents” debuted at number one in Parker’s home

2017: Kendrick Lamar, “DAMN.” “DAMN.” is the fourth studio album from Compton, California rapper Kendrick Lamar and his third straight number one album on the U.S. Billboard 200. The production team for the album includes hip-hop legends such as 9th Wonder, the Alchemist and DJ Dahi.

Although the album departed from the jazz-heavy production of “To Pimp a Butterfly” in favor of trap and pop elements, “DAMN.” is a concept album like most of Lamar’s previous works.

Lamar’s main focus on the album is his relationships with God, the Bible and his own internal fears.

Produced by Mike Will Made It, the album’s lead single “Humble” became Lamar’s first number one song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “DAMN.” was met with critical acclaim, being named the best album of 2017 on Billboard’s year-end chart and is Lamar’s second most acclaimed album according to Metacritic.

In addition, Lamar received an accolade

that no rapper or mainstream artist had previously been awarded, becoming the first non-classical or jazz musician to win the Pulitzer Prize for music.

2018: Travis Scott, “Astroworld” After years of teasing the release of “Astroworld,” named after the iconic Six Flags Astroworld amusement park of Travis Scott’s childhood in Houston, the album finally arrived. Featuring renowned artists such as The Weeknd, Frank Ocean and Stevie Wonder, the album sold 537,000 units in its first week, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200.

Scott retained the number one spot on the Billboard charts for another week, holding off fierce competition from Nicki Minaj.

The album’s standout five-minute track, “Sicko Mode,” featuring Drake, became Scott’s first number one song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the first rap song to spend 30 weeks on the chart’s top 10. “Astroworld” sold more than six times more in its first week than Scott’s previous album and all 17 tracks from the album debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. In addition, Scott received his first Grammy nominations from “Astroworld,” getting nominated for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for “Sicko Mode.”

2019: Lizzo, “Cuz I Love You” Lizzo’s third studio album, “Cuz I Love You,” became her first album to chart on the US Billboard 200, debuting at number six and peaking at number four.

An album of many genres, “Cuz I Love You” mostly contains pop and funk production in contrast to her previous trap-inspired music. The album’s lyrics preach self-love, body positivity and being externally confident as a woman.

Her Billboard Hot 100 number one single “Truth Hurts” was originally released in September of 2017 with limited commercial success.

However, the song soon became a hit after it became popular on TikTok and was used in the Netflix film, “Someone Great.” Starting in September 2019, it spent seven non-consecutive weeks at number one.

Lizzo’s struggles with breaking into the music industry have been well documented this year as she has spoken about her body image issue and being homeless when she was 21. Now, 10 years later, she has finally gotten her big break and is one of the most popular breakout musicians from 2019.

New EP opens up Mick Jenkins’ take on our chaotic society

by Johann Derek Oribello SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Illustrative storyteller and talented emcee Mick Jenkins started off the new decade with a bang releasing his new EP project titled, “The Circus.” Known for releasing short EPs that preview the sound of an upcoming album, his latest blends together cloudy, electronic production over vivid storytelling verses that flex his lyrical abilities.

Released on Jan. 10, the EP consists of seven songs featuring guest appearances from rap duo Earth Gang and Grammy award-winning producer Hit Boy who is best known for working with artists such as Jay-Z and Kanye West.

Despite the short timelength of the project, “The Circus” does a brilliant job in chronicling Jenkins’ mindset and

thoughts amidst the chaotic nature of society today where police discrimination and racism plague minorities across the nation, hence, the EP’s title.

The lead single of the project, “Carefree,” directly addresses this issue under an ethereal beat with mellow piano keys.

In it, Jenkins paints common situations young African Americans face daily where they’re singled out for their skin color and cannot enjoy carefree leisure activities.

Jenkins bluntly points towards the fact that his listeners may have certain freedoms that he himself cannot enjoy.

With lyrics such as, “If you living carefree, then you probably don’t look like us,” and “I ain’t worried ‘bout dyin’ for speaking my mind, they keep on callin’ it tough shit,” it’s clear to see the frustration Jenkins holds. Juxtaposing his frustrations with laid-back production marks “Carefree” as a standout track of the project.

Another standout track is the song, “The Light,” featuring the dynamic rap duo EarthGang. Focusing the message on staying authentic and exploring new highs, the playful approach EarthGang incorporates with their verses compliments the serious nature of the song’s message perfectly.

Rapper Johnny Venus of EarthGang captures this juxtaposition in the chorus as he sings, “Lately, I’ve been sober, chasin’ new highs,” and “You can be yourself, don’t be shy / Take your time, don’t you rush things.”

Since the rap duo is planning to tour with the Chicago rapper, it is no surprise to see the two musical acts collaborate together on such a stellar track.

With the mass appeal of rappers showing off excessive lavishes in their raps, Jenkins addresses fans’ expectations for rappers to maintain a high key, flamboyant image.

The song “Flaunt” directly tackles this issue as Jenkins reminds listeners he isn’t like most rappers seeking attention.

Rather, he raps with confidence and pride in maintaining a lowkey and authentic presence instead of trying to project a fake image throughout the song. In the chorus he confronts the fake bravado rappers possess and juxtaposes it with the quiet confidence he carries when he raps, “I don’t even flex like that on the regular/ Bet you hear the muscle when I start my shit, though.”

Unlike many rappers on the rise in today’s musical climate, none come close to Jenkins when it comes to up and coming rappers deserving of mainstream success in the likes of J. Cole or Kendrick Lamar. The short but sweet aspect of this EP proves to be an outstanding addition to Jenkins’ discography that reveals the potential of his upcoming album.

Jan. 22 - 28, 2020 EDITOR: Ceighlee Fennel • arts@thedailyaztec.com

by Kelly Kerrigan SENIOR STAFF WRITER

San Diego is bringing lots of musical talent this coming spring. Large acts hit hot spots in San Diego such as the Observatory, SOMA, Pechanga and San Diego State.

TUESDAY JAN. 28 KING PRINCESS AT THE OBSERVATORY NORTH PARK The 21-year-old singer/songwriter released her newest album, “Cheap Queen,” this past October.

Since then, King Princess has played on Saturday Night Live, announced a European tour with Harry Styles and released a tour of her own. The queer icon is signed with Mark Ronson’s record label, Zelig records, since the release of her hit song “1950.”

MONDAY FEB. 3 DERMONT KENNEDY AT CAL COAST OPEN AIR THEATRE This Dublin singer/songwriter is known for his powerful and passionate vocals.

He released his first full album in 2019, “Without Fear,” displaying his folk roots mixed with pop influences.

WEDNESDAY FEB. 5 ATMOSPHERE AT THE OBSERVATORY NORTH PARK The rap-duo has been releasing music since 2007 and has become a notable force in the rap industry.

The Minnesota native’s newest record, “Whenever,” dropped this past December as they announced an upcoming tour.

Arts & Culture

Their hit songs, “Yesterday,” and, “Best Day,” have been blasted on teenagers’ speakers over the past two decades showing the timelessness of the group.

FRIDAY FEB. 28 DR. DOG AT THE OBSERVATORY NORTH PARK Dr. Dog’s sound is extremely unique. The alternative band has transitioned and evolved over the years establishing an exponentially different music style with each record released. The band’s 2018 album, “Critical Equation,” is the most recent album of nine. From “Heart it Races” to “Nellie,” Dr. Dog showcases their musical versatility.

FRIDAY MARCH 6 THE GROWLERS AT SOMA The “Beach Goth” creators are coming back to SOMA after the release of their newest album, “Natural Affairs.” The Orange County group has infiltrated the sound of California with its unique music style, creating its own genre. The band can be seen on many festival lineups this spring including Tennessee’s “Bonnaroo” and Atlanta’s “Shaky Knees.”

“After having seen The Growlers before, they are true to their Beach Goth band even in their live shows,” accounting senior Kat Hench said.” Their performances are always full of energy and their setlists are always different which keeps it exciting.

I’m really looking forward to seeing their new album in concert.”

MARCH 7 AND 8 CRSSD FESTIVAL AT WATERFRONT PARK CRSSD Festival’s bi-annual appearance at Waterfront Park has grown in popularity

over the years, becoming a must for San Diego locals. The two-day festival features an eclectic line up of electronic, house, techno and experimental artists and bands.

The headliners feature the Australian group “Rufus Du Sol,” “SOLACE,” Gessafelstein and Chris Lake. Other artists featured include Purple Disco Machine, EVAN GIIA, Inner City and Majid Jordan.

MONDAY MARCH 9 TAME IMPALA WITH CLAIRO AT PECHANGA ARENA This Australian musician has evolved into a psychedelic-rock god over the years, something he never expected. After a fiveyear hiatus, Kevin Parker has returned with his much-anticipated album, “The Slow Rush,” which will be released on Feb. 14.

Since the album’s announcement, Parker has dropped singles, “Lost in Yesterday,” “It Might Be Time” and “Posthumous Forgiveness,” displaying the recurring theme of time which has seemingly inspired his upcoming album.

MONDAY MARCH 23 GROUPLOVE AT THE OBSERVATORY NORTH PARK Grouplove’s “Tongue Tied” became an endless classic the second it was released in 2011. Since then, the band has proven their extraordinary ability to make energetic indie-pop hits for people to love.

The band’s newest single, “Deleter” is a taste of their upcoming album “HEALER” which will be released March 13.

APRIL 10-12 AND 17-19 COACHELLA MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL AT

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EMPIRE POLO CLUB IN INDIO, CA The Coachella lineup graced the internet in early January featuring its normal mix of pop, rock, rap and electronic music.

Headliners include the critically acclaimed Rage Against the Machine, the infamous founder of “Sicko Mode,” Travis Scott and fan-favorite Frank Ocean. Other big artists include Lana Del Rey, Flume, FKA Twigs and Rex Orange County. A few smaller artists that made the lineup include Black Pumas, Weyes Blood, (Sandy) Alex G, Peggy Gou and Skegss.

APRIL 24-26 STAGECOACH AT EMPIRE POLO CLUB IN INDIO, CA Dancing in the desert while listening to country’s biggest artists became possible thanks to Stagecoach.

This year the festival has branched out from its main genre by featuring electronic DJ Diplo and rock-legends ZZ Top. The lineup features country classics like Carrie Underwood, Dan + Shay and Thomas Rhett with many others.

SATURDAY MAY 2 KESHA AT CAL COAST OPEN AIR THEATER The pop superstar closes the school year at the Open Air Theatre with her “High Road Tour.”

In 2019, Kesha released three singles titled, “Rich, White, Straight Men,” “Raising Hell” and “My Own Dance.”

After experiencing sexual harassment and a lawsuit from her previous producer Dr. Luke, Kesha made a comeback like no other, gracing us once again with her outspoken, witty, party songs.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s message still resonates with students

by Devin Whatley STAFF WRITER

As students enjoyed one of their final days of winter break on Monday, they also recalled the message of Martin Luther King Jr., a civil rights icon whose words take on a new meaning in the modern day.

International security and conflict resolution senior Angelica Espinoza said King’s ideas on civil rights are relevant with recent events of racial issues on campus such as the vandalism of the Black Resource Center and racist messages toward former student CJ Simmons.

“These incidents of racism and discrimination on campus remind us that hate and violence are counterproductive for everyone involved,” Espinoza said.

“Dr. King believed that we must choose love over hate and that injustice, not people, should be defeated.”

King was known as one of the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement in America during the late 1950s to the late 1960s.

He championed the idea of achieving change and equality in civil rights for African Americans through the use of nonviolence. King’s speeches and writings such as “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” and “I Have A Dream” have been memorialized in American culture, language and teachings.

In 1963, King led a march for jobs and freedom for blacks in Washington D.C. He supported the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, legally ending segregation.

His marches in Selma, Alabama and Birmingham, Alabama led to passing the Voting Rights Act in 1965, removing voting barriers for many African Americans.

When King was assassinated in 1968, Rep. John Conyers of Michigan introduced the first legislation to make a federal holiday in his honor — gaining nationwide support in the 1970s before it was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1983.

For students, King’s ideas affect them in not just how they view issues around the country, but also how they view issues here at San Diego State.

Political science senior Michael Wiafe said it is important to utilize King’s values and ideas and apply them to how we view race-related issues and conflicts on campus.

“I definitely think that a lot of his teachings are applicable towards our campus community,” Wiafe said. “We can’t walk around like it doesn’t exist as if we’re a perfect vacuum that doesn’t have a lot of negative influences and that we are in a space where we can deconstruct ideas and create a better generation for ourselves. As long as we continue to echo his teachings and others as well, we can continue to

make differences leading forward.”

Students find King’s ideas connect with what goes on on campus and themselves personally.

Speech, language and hearing sciences senior Lauryn Merriweather said her favorite thing about King is his commitment to black excellence, which she strives for in her life as well.

“I love that MLK represents black excellence and change and inspires love and commitment to justice,” Merriweather said.

With Martin Luther King Jr. Day this week, Wiafe believes students should take time to learn and understand more about how influential King was as a person.

“I wish more people paid attention to Martin Luther King Jr. Day,” Wiafe said. “I think during times like this, when commemorating a leader, we could take a second to learn and see how we can create that for ourselves.

It’s an interesting thought to know that one person’s existence can shape an entire nation.”

Even though King may be long gone, his legacy lives on.

Graphic by Emily Burgess

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The Back Page

The Daily Aztec

Jan. 22 - 28, 2020 Editor: Ceighlee Fennel • arts@thedailyaztec.com

How to turn aspirations into a healthy lifestyle

by Ceighlee Fennel ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR

Do any of your New Year’s Resolutions involve losing weight? Exercising more?

Sneaking more self care into your day?

If any of these apply to you, there are healthy ways to achieve these resolutions and turn them into a way of life.

Instead of dreading the ideas of losing weight and exercising more, think of it as learning how to eat cleaner and be more active.

There isn’t a clear answer to anyone’s

FOOD There are countless ways to lose weight, but it is important to have the perspective that you’re simply switching to a healthier lifestyle.

Diet culture is based on people doing different diets to fit into the thin “ideal.” If you don’t fit the mold, you are negatively stereotyped.

Before diving into healthy eating, registered dietician nutritionist and certified intuitive eating counselor Tyler Rolling said people should question why weight loss is a goal in 2020. She asks students why they’re trying to lose weight and if self worth or fitting in is the motive.

“When people have weight loss as their New Year’s resolution, I want to know what part of you doesn’t feel good enough,” Rolling said. “Because that’s what your resolution should be on, self love and compassion.”

Rolling promotes intuitive eating as a healthy way to start the new year because for her, it’s about creating an authentic health model for an individual. Intuitive eating is about discovering your body and relationship with food, a landscape that is always changing.

She begins by exploring a student’s ideas and beliefs about food. Then, she finds out which foods the student likes and have nutritional value. Rolling calls it “dropping out of your mind and into your body.”

She advises students to become familiar with their own hunger and fullness cues as well as which foods satisfy them. If kale doesn’t satisfy you, it won’t motivate you to stay on your health kick.

“Making sure you honor your hunger and respect your fullness,” Rolling said. “I emphasize getting in touch with hunger cues because too often people forget to eat or are restricting food which leads to overeating.”

goals, but here are some words of wisdom from people in the profession on how to crush your goals while being mindful of how you are achieving them.

EXERCISE

She tells students to eat every few hours to help with blood sugar and overeating. Starving during a busy day at school leads to overeating and cravings because our bodies crave fatty and sugary foods when we are starving as a survival mechanism. She advises bringing snacks to school, especially ones with high fiber and protein because that keeps you fuller longer. This could include trail mix, dried fruit or a protein bar.

Intuitive eating is a healthy approach to altering your lifestyle because it’s not a surface level, quick fix. It is personalized knowledge about yourself that can change your life. Eating foods you don’t like and having personal obstacles in the way makes those habits unsustainable.

The easier the lifestyle change is, the more likely you will succeed.

“There is a learning curve and it can be challenging,” Rolling said. “Self discovery is empowering. If you can be that much of an expert about your body and enjoy eating, that is powerful.”

If you want to learn more or to change your lifestyle, students can call Wellbeing & Health Promotion to book an appointment with Rolling or request group presentations by visiting their website.

Health is a giant puzzle. There is mental, emotional and physical health to be aware of and everything that can impact those such as stress, sleep and eating habits. A balanced diet means being too lax or too rigid won’t help.

“It’s all about balance and showing yourself compassion,” Rolling said.

“Compassion is important because we won’t always eat in line with our values, but instead of beating yourself up about it, by showing yourself compassion, you are more likely to engage in the preferred behavior next time.”

One of the biggest methods people talk about for losing weight is exercising. It is great for productivity, mood and health improvements, but that doesn’t mean you need to get an expensive membership at a fancy gym to enjoy these benefits.

Although that is an option, there are a million ways to work more exercise into your day.

Personal trainer and business owner Brian Tabor works at the Aztec Recreation Center. His business, Strong Made Simple, is based on helping people build strength, fitness and confidence. He recommends people create a list of opportunistic exercises that they could incorporate into their everyday lives, such as parking on the opposite side of campus or taking the stairs. He also said if you are starting out at home, you could set a sticky note on your counter, and every time you pass it, do 10 jumping jacks. Walking is also a great outlet because it burns calories without taxing your body too much. Tabor said it doesn’t strain your mental energy and can be very restorative.

If walking is your choice, you could get an app that tracks your steps. Apple watches and Fitbits track your activity throughout the day, and iPhones have a built-in Health app that tracks movement throughout the day. Having a step count goal for the day might motivate you to make the walk to your furthest class.

Some other daily health hacks include standing and maintaining good posture because it engages your core muscles.

Fitness accounts on Instagram are also a helpful outlet if you listen to the right ones. Many accounts can lead followers on or have complex workouts that seem impossible, but there are some truthful ones.

“Instagram, and any social media, is one of those places where people only

post their best selves,” Tabor said. “It’s hard to find those people you can follow who are willing to be open and share their worst parts as well.”

Tabor said to be aware that these kinds of accounts sometimes use surgery and edits to look perfect. He encourages students and others to use the locator tool on Instagram. By searching the ARC location, you can connect with people who are there and have similar goals as you. The gym is a social support network along with an exercise space. This can motivate you and make gym time a social, fun experience. An example of an online inspiration who shares her journey is Kayla Itsines. She has her own fitness program called Bikini Body Guide, “designed to show women that a bikini body is every type of body.” She is also a trainer for the SWEAT app where she does workout challenges.

To achieve your exercising goals and to form healthy habits this new year, Tabor stresses self compassion and showing up.

He said to not beat yourself up because that can create a shame spiral. To him, the most important thing is to show up because that’s how to turn exercising into a habit. Consistency is key.

“It’s always great when people want to get started, but people tend to overdo it on goals,” Tabor said. “Set realistic goals.

Have goals that are focused on actions instead of results.”

Tabor’s final tip is to get good at one thing and then add. Small steps are great for progress and confidence. When you feel strong, add another exercise to your routine. He also said to combine rewards and pain to continually motivate yourself.

A reward could be watching a new Netflix series on a treadmill, and pain could be making a $20 bet with your buddy to go to the gym.

SELF CARE Mental health habits are just as important as exercise habits. Making space for yourself in your life is a necessity if you want a healthy balance. Psychologist and Associate Director of the counseling center Dr. Martin Doucett stresses balancing sleep, exercise and nutrition. He said once you have that foundation you can build from there. Also, be constantly checking in on your psychological and emotional state to see if those are in a good place.

“Physical health is absolutely connected to our mental and emotional health and well being,” Doucett said. “If anything is out of whack in those areas, it will affect your overall functioning.”

Creating these self care goals for the new year is a great way to start somewhere, but continuing them past the first few weeks or month may prove to be challenging.

Doucett said to take your goals and break them down as much as possible. This will make your goals more specific and achievable. Then, you have to be mindful of your behavior because changing bad habits can be difficult. Doucett’s tip is to keep your goals at the forefront of your mind by having reminders on your phone, writing down your goal-related achievements every week and checking in with a coach or friend.

He said routines, support and habits can all help with turning goals into a

lifestyle. Consider motivating yourself by joining a group centered around your goals or getting a mediation app that reminds you to stop and breathe. Being aware and conscious of your goals and behaviors is a step for success. If you don’t hold yourself accountable or have someone else keeping you accountable, it can be easy to forget and fall back into old habits.

“Little self care routines can make all the difference in the world,” Doucett said. “When you are trying to start new wellness habits, you really have to make it a priority and schedule it. You have to find support for it. You have to enroll people in supporting you to maintain new behaviors.”

Another tip is to have realistic goals.

Doucett said it is common for people to take on more than they can handle, and then they blame themselves for failing. When this happens, he said it is important to adjust your goals and accept those adjustments.

“When students hit a bad place, they think they aren’t good enough, but it’s just how much they have on their plate. Don’t beat yourself up for not being able to take 21 units and work two jobs,” Doucett said. “Pay attention to your body and it will tell you what it can and cannot do.

You have to do what your body and mind

Strengthen your swimming skills!

can tolerate.”

People need to balance work, rest and recreation activities to engage in a healthy lifestyle. If you don’t have that balance, adjustments become necessary. The

counseling center encourages students to call the center’s main phone number on its website. They offer individual counseling, group therapy and connections to resources in the community.

ENS Credit Classes

Run your personal best! arc.sdsu.edu/creditclasses