11-06-2019

Wednesday, Nov. 6 - Tuesday, Nov. 12 2019 Weekly Print Edition

Vol. 106, Issue 13 www.thedailyaztec.com

San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

Mayoral candidates discuss housing, campus expansion

by Alexa Oslowski PHOTO EDITOR

San Diego’s three Democratic mayoral candidates appeared on campus on Nov. 4 to pick up the debate on housing, transportation and the San Diego State Mission Valley site.

Students were given the opportunity to ask questions at the open forum in Montezuma Hall.

Candidates Todd Gloria, Barabra Bry and Tasha Williamson discussed issues with the community that will impact San Diego as a whole as well as students at SDSU. SDSU Democrats President Alison Aiken and Vice President Armando Sepulveda II moderated the debate.

STUDENT HOUSING With the growing epidemic of homelessness and in the wake of a housing crisis, each candidate was asked how they plan on protecting student renters.

Barbara Bry said short-term vacation rentals largely contribute issues with finding housing.

A.S. President answers questions about proposed student fees

by Charlie Vargas STAFF WRITER

Photo by Alexa Oslowski

San Diego mayoral candidates Tasha Williamson, Barabra Bry and Todd Gloria debate the issues in Montezuma Hall.

“There are 16,000 single-family homes plus untold numbers of apartments that are being used as hotel rooms in this city that are not available for San Diegans to live in,” Bry said. “That has a link to why we don’t have enough housing in the city.”

Bry also pointed to the lack of enforcement of municipal codes as the cause of this problem.

Gloria, current California Assemblymember and House Majority Whip, blamed the developers and the prioritization of luxury apartments over affordable housing.

“When you look at what’s being produced like modern luxury apartments and the tall towers downtown that investors and other folks live in, I’m not

interested in building more of that,” Gloria said. “I’m interested in giving homes that working people and students can afford to live in.”

Williamson acknowledged the generational trend of homelessness and the lack of MAYORAL CANDIDATES, PAGE 2

The proposed increase in the Health Services Fee and Instructionally Related Activity Fee in fall 2020 have raised concerns and questions among San Diego State students due to the uncertainty about its future impact on student finances.

Associated Students President Christian Onwuka said he hopes to put those worries at ease and understands the reason for concern.

“Me, being a student, I don’t care what anybody says,” Onwuka said. “Fees going up scares me, and I wanted to make sure that we were taking that into consideration.”

QUESTIONS, PAGE 2

The Pride Center celebrates Día de los Muertos

by Catlan Nguyen STAFF WRITER

The Pride Center hosted a Dia De Los Muertos celebration on Nov. 1 to bring more awareness to intersectionality and to make all students with multiple identities feel welcome. The event also recognized and honored black transgender women who died due to police brutality.

Intersectionality serves to describe how multiple identities, and the prejudice that often accompanies them, can overlap to create a unique social experience for each person.

“It speaks to the lack of awareness that exists about the intersectionality and how, as individuals and people, we hold multiple identities within one body,” Pride Center Coordinator and graduate student Wesley Palau said. “People are not only queer. People are queer and undocumented, queer and disabled, queer and African American. On top of that, there’s a multitude of other identities.

You’re a student, a brother, a mother … ” The Pride Center is always open to all students of every identity and each is welcome to the variety of events it hosts,

Palau said.

The Pride Center was decorated with skulls and bright colors with food for all attendees. Mini pan de muertos, hot chocolate and sweet and spicy candies were offered to attendees while Spanish music played in the background.

Pride Center Social Media Coordinator and sociology junior Diego Smith led the event with Palau and spoke of the holiday’s origins, traditions and symbols.

Dia De Los Muertos originated from Aztec culture and has spread through Mexico, Central America and South America. It was originally held in August before harvesting season as a way to give thanks to ancestors for helping people grow corn, Smith said.

“I thought it was important for this event to highlight the indigenous origins of Dia De Los Muertos because often in Latinx culture, that is often omitted and erased,” Smith said.

The holiday celebrates the lives of loved ones who have passed and by giving them offerings at “ofrendas,” or altars.

Other traditions include visiting cemeteries and placing candles on loved ones’ graves to guide them on their path home.

Different tiers on more traditional altars offer protection

Photo by Catlan Nguyen

The Pride Center provided traditional meals such as pan de muertos, bread of the dead.

and other items. The pan de muertos, or sweet bread, is circular in shape to represent the cycle of life and death. Cempasuchil flowers, or marigolds, represent the sun and a guide for ancestors when visiting home. The papel picado, or “pecked paper,” decorations represent air because of how wind passes through the holes in the center, Smith said.

During the event, there was a “Say Her Name” remembrance ceremony honoring black transgender women who were

killed as a result of police brutality. Political science junior Jasmyne Robinson and math junior Christion Covington led the remembrance and read each woman’s name while their pictures were displayed.

“We figured since it was a day of remembrance, why not talk about the black trans women who seem to be forgotten and not remembered,” Covington said.

Covington noted how being queer is stigmatized in the black community and she hopes her

work with The Pride Center will help counter that.

“I feel like I’ve gotten a family out here in The Pride Center, a chosen family,” Covington said.

The Pride Center is open to all individuals on campus and offers food, clothing, testing supplies and more resources, Palau said.

They will also be hosting a Trans Remembrance event in the Aztec Student Union at the flagpole and in the Center for Intercultural Relations on Nov. 20 at 11:30 a.m.

2

The Daily Aztec

News

Nov. 6 - 12, 2019 EDITOR: Kaitlyn Little • news@thedailyaztec.com

University panel explores crossroads between human rights and migration

by Johann Derek Oribello SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The San Diego State Interdisciplinary Human Rights Initiative hosted “Human Rights and Migration at a Crossroads” on Oct. 29, featuring nine local organizations discussing the impact of refugee and migration policies on human rights.

Participating organizations for the event included the American Friends Service Committee, Detainee Allies, San Diego Rapid Response Network and Jewish Family Service of San Diego.

Director of Interdisciplinary Human Rights Initiative Grace Cheng and associate professor of Chicana and Chicano studies Roberto Hernández organized the event in the hopes of raising awareness of the humanitarian crisis on immigrants in detention centers along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Hernández said it is necessary for the university to focus on these issues due to the close proximity of the border.

“Especially here being so close to the border, these are pressing issues that sometimes San Diego State is so removed and disconnected from,” he said. “So, we think it’s imperative … to address these

Mayoral Candidates:

issues that are happening just 15 miles south.”

Jennifer Gonzalez, cofounder of grassroots organization Detainee Allies, said the Trump administration’s introduction of the family separation policy, which separates children from their parents at the border, became the turning point for many citizens to address and raise concerns over the lack of proper treatment towards immigrants seeking asylum.

“When the family separation policy became public knowledge, there was a lot of collective outcry,” Gonzalez said. “It was a tipping point for a lot of folks that had not been paying attention to this issue.”

Ivan Mercado, case manager of Al Otro Lado, a binational legal services organization serving assistance to refugees and deportees, said the lack of humane treatment towards immigrants in these detention centers is horrific, especially when considering the conditions that forced them to seek refuge.

“It’s sad because these are challenges that we are facing (where) they came and left everything they had just to seek safety,” he said. “But now, unfortunately they are just going back again into the same problems. There have been reports

Various organizations came together on Oct. 29 to discuss refugee and migration policies.

of sexual assault and a lack of medical attention (inside detention centers). The lack of humanity is horrible.”

Nursing freshman Aliyah Israel, who attended the event, said despite going for an extra credit opportunity, she found the event to be an illuminating experience.

“Personally we came here for a sociology class, but I feel like its really informative,” Israel said. “It brought a lot of attention to a lot of the things we didn’t necessarily know about.”

Undeclared freshman Bryan Brant said the event gave him a sense of awareness he wouldn’t normally find elsewhere.

“In high school, no one would ever

talk about this,” Bryant said. “So bringing awareness to this subject actually lets me know there’s people worrying about this issue which is enlightening.”

Gonzalez said it is important for people to empathize with immigrants and to spread the word of the improper treatment towards them by these migrant detention centers.

“We don’t just need your clicks and your likes,” he said. “We don’t even just need your bodies in the seats right here. We actually need your hands and hearts. We have to find ways to fight in a way that protects and lifts the advocates and those that are being directly affected.”

Williamson said. “We need to make sure that safety is taken care of for them and that has not been done. That has not been regulated and nobody has stood up.”

Gloria said the campus expansion would not fall onto the list of uncompleted projects, like the long-discussed expansion to the San Diego Convention Center.

“We can’t allow this project to become like so many other projects in town that never get done,” Gloria said. “If elected mayor, I promise you I will get things done. SDSU West has to be the top of that priority list.”

Bry, a longtime supporter of the SDSU Mission Valley development, said, if elected mayor, she will make San Diego a place for graduates to stay long term.

“My goal is that all of you graduate and stay in San Diego,” she said. “If you’re going to stay here, you need a good job and an affordable place to live. You are our future.

We need you here desperately.”

SDSU made a new offer of over $86 million to the city of San Diego on Oct. 28.

The university hopes to own the land in March 2020 and begin construction on the site which would include a new stadium, a public park and affordable housing.

“We have to first prove we can get people to use transit,” she said. “Otherwise, we’re never going to be successful again at getting a tax measure to pay for the kind of transit we’re going to need in the future.”

Gloria, who has previously supported measures focused on mass transportation, said the mayor should have control when it comes to resolving local local transportation issues.He said .He said San Diego needs a better presence in the state capitol.

“To make sure we’re doing what we need to do, which is to make transit work in this community,” Gloria said. “We need to give walking and biking opportunities and make the buses and trolleys come more frequently, and that fares are not raising constantly.”

Williamson said her focus is on improving the safety of citizens taking mass transit and the urgency of making changes immediately.

“We need to push MTS to do the things that need to be done here in the city of San Diego and it needs to be done safely,”

SDSU MISSION VALLEY SDSU recently submitted a new proposal to purchase the Mission Valley land and begin an expansion project, which will be reviewed on Nov. 18 by San Diego City Council. The candidates discussed the concerns over the project’s sustainability plan, as well as how to prevent any more issues from halting the completion of the project.

Williamson said it was important to have community involvement with this project.

“We need to sit at that table and make sure there’s transparency, and we have everything you guys (SDSU) need in order to develop it,” Williamson said. “This is your canvas. I want to make sure that we bring people to the table and we allow you all the opportunity to create what you envision.”

continued from page 1

to vote on a proposed increase of $40 for the fall and spring and $17 for the summer.

Response Team (ECRT) program which provides assistance to students in need.”

APPLICATION OF FEES Studio art sophomore Ashley Meru said she is unsure if the proposed fees were part of new fees or if they were increasing existing ones. Onwuka said the proposed fees would be in addition to the already existing fees.

“They’re increasing fees that are already in place,” Onwuka said. “The Instructionally Related Activity Fee is a fee that students already pay and there is already a student health fee that would also be increasing from there.”

The Health and Wellness Fee increase is being proposed in tiers, with fee increases of $55, $61 or $73 during the fall and spring and increases of $20, $22 or $27 during summer, according to SDSU’s Finance and Budget website.

For the Instructionally Related Activity Fee, students are being asked

RESERVES Other students like hospitality senior Kylie White asked what will happen to the reserves of the money made from the increase in fees.

“There is a return-to-aid feature, so if this fee is going to hurt (students) detrimentally, it will still support the students (in need) as well,” Onwuka said.

According to university information pamphlets on the proposed fees, each of these fees will provide 3% of its revenue to financial aid programs.

“That means that 3% of the revenue generated from each fee will be set aside to assist students with financial hardship to pay for the proposed fee increases,” Interim Vice President of Financial Operations Crystal Little said. “This funding (will) be managed through the existing Economic Crisis

GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE AND GRANTS Computer engineering sophomore Salvador Peryra asked if there was a different route such as state and federal aid that would deviate the fee away from students.

Onwuka said that having the funding assured from a fee and not a grant may be the best way to ensure continuous funding for the centers.

“The university felt this was the best sustainable model because you can offer up a grant and hope to get it but then if we don’t get it, then we don’t have counselors to support our students, and we don’t have centers to support our students,” Onwuka said.

Segregation Concerns There was also concern about segregation with the proposals for building new centers. One of the proposed fees would allow the funding

continued from page 1 action from City Hall in actively addressing community members.

“The city council has not regulated things they way it should have,” Williamson said.

“They are community members and we should be loving them and supporting them and giving them everything they need.”

TRANSPORTATION Concerns were raised over improving traffic conditions and increasing mass transit options in San Diego. Without placing the burden on taxpayers, the debate looked at how each candidate would ensure these conditions are actually improved.

Bry emphasized the new development of the trolley’s blue line which will connect La Jolla to downtown San DiegoDiego.

Questions:

Photo by Johann Derek Oribello

and financial sustainability for a Latinx Resource Center, Native Student Resource Center and Asian American Pacific Islander Lounge.

Public health senior Jasmine Alexander asked how effective these new centers would be and how the university plans to avoid perpetuating segregation on campus.

“For me, being a person of color on campus (and) having a place where I could find people I identify with It made me feel a little bit safer, safe as in I can be myself,” Onwuka said. “I feel like our Black and African American students have that, and every other student group that’s on-campus should have that.”

Onwuka believes that this allows students of different backgrounds to collaborate in ways they may not have before and said segregation is not the intention of the new proposed centers.

Students with questions can reference the FAQ page or attend one of the open forums lasting until Nov. 15.

3 News Student clubs host forums on proposed fee increases Nov. 6 - 12, 2019 EDITOR: Kaitlyn Little • news@thedailyaztec.com

by Catlan Nguyen STAFF WRITER

Multiple organizations on campus are holding student forums to educate students regarding two proposed fee increases aimed at expanding mental health resources and funding for identity centers.

The forums, w hich began in October, are being held until Nov. 15. The Campus Fee Advisory Committee will then review student feedback in response to the proposed fee increases.

The increase to the Health and Wellness Fee would provide more therapists for students on campus, while the Instructionally Related Fee increase would be used on support staff for existing identity centers and help launch three proposed cultural centers on campus, including: the Asian American Pacific Islander Lounge, the Latinx Resource Center and the Native Resource Center.

The majority of student questions from

The Daily Aztec

past forums included clarifying questions regarding mental health services and budget questions, according to Interim Associate Vice President of Financial Operations Crystal Little. She said many students want to know why the proposed services can’t be funded without student fees.

The Health and Wellness Fee could include increases of $55, $61 or $73 per semester.

The Instructionally Related Fee would be a $40 increase per semester.

The Campus Fee Advisory Committee is responsible for submitting a formal recommendation to the president’s office, believes student feedback is the most influential factor in deciding if the Health and Wellness Fee and the Instructionally Related Fee should be passed, Little said.

Faculty, staff and administrators make up CFAC member , but Little said the committee is mostly comprised of students.

Students attending a forum are required to present their Red ID to give feedback on the two proposed fee increases.

Photo by Catlan Nguyen

If approved, the new student fees will take effect fall 2020.

If a student cannot attend one of the scheduled forums, recorded forum information is available at the SDSU Testing Services center located in Student Services West. Students can provide feedback there after watching the video.

“We want to make this as available as possible,” Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Andrea Dooley said.

After the forums and feedback period, CFAC will meet on Nov. 22 to present their findings and share standout comments from students to the president. There will also be time allotted for public comment from students or faculty.

Then, if the fees are recommended, the president will pass the fee proposals to the chancellor for approval.

One student forum was co-hosted by the Student Health Advisory Committee and Students for Public Health on Oct. 30.

Some students attending were in favor of the Health and Wellness Fee, while others were unsure about the increase in costs.

A strong supporter of the fee is SHAC chair and public health senior Mercedes Huot. She said there is a pressing need for additional mental health staff on campus.

“Being a part of college health and human services, mental health is obviously a big issue and focus for us to expand,” Huot said. “We know that the fee hasn’t increased since 2010 and we think that it’s time to set the ratio and make it better for SDSU. We definitely need more therapists and counselors on campus.”

The national standard for therapist-tostudent ratios on college campuses is one therapist for every 1,500 students. However, SDSU’s ratio is about one therapist to 1,800

students, according to Director of Counseling & Psychological Services Jennifer Rikard.

The Health and Wellness Fee’s goals include reducing student wait times to see therapists, increasing counselor staffing, personalized mental health services, care navigation and a dedicated access phone line for students to speak to support staff after hours, Rikard said.

She said the fee would also help with suicide prevention, intervention and crisis management.

“Crises can’t be postponed,” Rikard said.

“We have to deal with them now.”

Better mental health services would enable students to succeed and perform to the best of their abilities. The top three roadblocks for students include stress, anxiety and sleep problems, Rikard said.

Public health junior and SHAC member Nancy Vasquez said she isn’t as sure about implementing the fees due to lingering questions about how the fees will be used.

“It could be a burden on some people,” Vasquez said. “The way they answered some questions, it seemed like they didn’t really know the answer. There should be more planning on how the fees and their funds will be implemented.”

Other students asked how measures for student safety will increase with the building of the new centers and where such identity centers would be placed on campus.

The three proposed identity centers don’t have exact future locations on campus yet, Pride Center Assistant Director Anne Guanciale said.

A list of the forum dates are posted on the Budget & Finance page of the SDSU website.

Opinion SDSU party culture is exclusive to greek life 4

Nov. 6 - 12, 2019 EDITOR: Catherine Van Weele • opinion@thedailyaztec.com

The Daily Aztec

by Athena Jreji CONTRIBUTOR

For decades, San Diego State has carried the reputation of a “party school.” By definition, a party school is a university known for heavy alcohol and drug use or a general culture of promiscuity.

Most students enter SDSU with this impression.

The reality is, after the strand of welcome week parties and Greek life recruitment, this expectation will soon fade away for a majority of students.

Although party culture is glorified here, deeming SDSU a party school is an inaccurate picture of the school as a whole.

The truth of this culture is masked by an unwelcoming tone to students who aren’t part of Greek life.

When viewing the school’s culture through a Greek life lens, SDSU can be easily classified as a party school. However, the reality is if students are not apart of a sorority or fraternity, the party scene is generally closed off to them.

Of the campus’s roughly 34,000 students, only 3,600 students are apart of the 46 organized sororities and fraternities. This means there is a small fraction of students who have reliable access to parties.

Foods and nutrition freshman Sama Safadi said, “I looked up the percentage of Greek enrollment before attending SDSU. I figured

Photo by Alexa Oslowski

Two sorority girls walking on campus.

because it was so small compared to the rest of the school that it would be easy to attend parties. I was wrong.”

Really, party culture is a small fraction of what SDSU actually is.

Though there are opportunities presented to integrate oneself into this culture, the odds are stacked against students who don’t wish to participate in Greek life or have not been accepted into that community.

Recently, I asked in a class discussion if my peers thought SDSU is truly a party school. The

response was a resounding, “No.” Many students shook their head, explaining how their chances to attend parties have been rare.

To them, attending parties that are not thrown by fraternities requires participation in sports or clubs. The majority described how they were misled by SDSU’s reputation and didn’t realize the exclusivity of parties in the surrounding area of campus. In a course full of upperclassmen, my peers explained how this is something they’ve dealt with for the entirety of their time at SDSU.

When thinking of a party school, it is typically envisioned that the party environment is an ingrained aspect of the school, as well as being accessible to a majority of students. This concept is visible at a neighboring college, Cal State San Marcos. CSUSM freshman Audrey San Filipo described the party culture as an open and welcoming environment.

While it is a growing school with fewer students, San Filipo said, “You just have to put yourself out there as a social person to discover parties. The parties are frequent and easy to attend.

People will even invite you just to be nice.”

Unfortunately, for students at SDSU who are not associated with Greek life, finding a way to get into a party requires jumping through hoops and passing restrictions. The task is superficial and highly dependent on looks for female students. Beyond this, any male student who is not in a fraternity has almost no access to Greek life parties.

Though this may not seem important, the most frequent and popular parties are those hosted by fraternities. Due to these restrictions, it can be difficult for students to enjoy what seems to be such an integral part of San Diego culture if they are not involved in Greek life.

Athena Jreji is a freshman majoring in journalism. Follow her on Twitter @goddsz.

LinkedIn is just as bad as other social media apps

by Anna Fiorino STAFF WRITER

We hear it again and again: Social media is dangerous.

Our Facebooks and Instagrams are the highlight reels of our lives, and this is supposedly the worst of it.

But when it comes to social media use and mental health, LinkedIn might be more insidious than the others — especially in today’s “hustle” culture, where being busy is equated with being successful.

The employment-oriented platform is a space for professional networking and a job candidate database for employers. It also happens to be the perfect platform for tracking – not just peers, potential employers or competition within the industry – but whether your ex-boyfriend ended up getting that promotion (or, if you have time to spare, what your current boyfriend’s exes are up to and how you compare). Few things induce more anxiety than an old high school acquaintance who has had approximately 12 more internships than you.

Using LinkedIn can make us feel hyperactivite, uncharacteristic enthusiasm, social and extracurricular overextension and academic distress. They also enjoy phrases like “Congratulations, Julie,” “Love your work,” “So happy to connect with you” and “I had a

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 Brenden Tuccinardi PHOTO EDITOR Alexa Oslowski MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Amal Younis ASST. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Jack Molmud GRAPHIC DESIGNER Emily Burgess VOLUNTEER COPYEDITOR Noah Goldbloom

STAFF WRITERS Roxana Becerril Anna Fiorino Daniel Guerrero Luis Lopez Lucelis Martinez Catalan Nguyen Carlie Vargas SENIOR STAFF WRITERS Johann Derek Oribello CONTRIBUTORS Kassandra Cabal Ahena Jregi Sam Mason Amber Salas Aidan Skillingstad ________________________________

great time today expressing my passion for vertical growth and synergy.” Many have mastered the art of seamlessly incorporating the top 20 LinkedIn buzzwords into a perfect profile summary – probably because they all went to the same campus workshop.

Of course, there are risks that accompany social media use: Cyberbullying, hacking, identity theft and improper data use.

Then, there are more subversive ones such as anxiety, loneliness and unhappiness.

Much like Instagram tells us we are missing out, LinkedIn tells us we are not doing enough. Photosharing platforms might make us feel like we aren’t attractive or fun enough, but resume-sharing platforms can make us feel like we aren’t smart or successful enough, and these are attributes that we’re taught actually matter.

It’s also difficult to approach LinkedIn in the same way we are encouraged to approach other social platforms. We are supposed to avoid synthetic relationships and be honest, or at least try to be, about the way we portray ourselves and interact with others online.

“Networking makes us feel dirty,” said contributing writer Adam Grant in a New York Times article, “to the point that one study found that people rate soap and toothpaste 19% more positively after imagining themselves angling to make professional contacts at a cocktail party.”

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Photo by Catherine van Weele

User opening up the LInkedIn app.

Although LinkedIn has done a great job connecting people professionally, these relationships oftentimes feel more transactional than genuine. The scary reality is the more we rely on apps to forge or maintain connections, the easier it becomes to reduce people to their online presence.

We have become our Twitter feeds, our Facebook profiles and our LinkedIn resumes. And we are constantly evaluating each

other and ourselves.

LinkedIn is undoubtedly a powerful tool for connecting and exploring career opportunities and certainly one worth taking advantage of. Just remember to connect with caution, stalk responsibly, manage your use and consume intentionally.

Anna Fiorino is a senior studying journalism. Follow her on Twitter at @annafi0.

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Nov. 6 - 12, 2019 EDITOR: Catherine Van Weele • opinion@thedailyaztec.com

Opinion

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5

Let’s support reproductive healthcare

by Sam Mason CONTRIBUTOR

Attending a public university in California, I am quite lucky. Not only am I lucky enough to have access to an education, diverse campus and academic resources, I also have access to reproductive health services.

The Calpulli Center here on campus offers family planning services, STD testing and is one way to get condoms easily. Similarly, organizations on campus such as Planned Parenthood Generation Action hold bi-weekly meetings aimed to educate on topics such as healthy relationships and different contraceptive methods.

A recent bill was just signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom. The bill, SB 24, which would require “each student health care services clinic on a California State University or University of California campus to offer abortion by medication techniques,” was just recently signed into law this October.

This is a major victory because it allows abortion access on

California public campuses; however, this access is restricted on almost all other types of campuses. No other educational institution has implemented anything like SB 24, and at most other schools, abortion access is simply nonexistent.

If our schools are supposed to cover all of our basic healthcare needs, why is abortion not included?

With the introduction of SB 24, the question is raised: why is this sort of care not available everywhere? Opposition to the bill cited that the legislation would allow for a pregnant person to “kill an unborn child up to 10 weeks of life” and refers to colleges as “abortion vendors.” This type of language and opposition perpetuates the stigma of abortion; regardless of your personal opinions about it, no legislature or university has the right to deny any person access to an abortion.

I am a poor college student who is barely figuring out how to navigate adult life. If I became pregnant, I would be at peace knowing that here, at a CSU

school, I have the option to do what is right for me.

What about those who do not have this access? What about those who cannot afford a chemical or surgical abortion? Or those who do not even have the means to travel off campus or out of state to receive one?

I think what people fail to realize is that college is the worst time to get pregnant. Resources need to be available to all students in case this is to occur.

The abortion pill should be made at all educational institutions, regardless if its public or private, religiously-affiliated or not.

Since the several months I have been at SDSU, I believe it is a very sex-postitive campus. Again, I am one of the lucky ones.

Boston College will not allow their Students for Sexual Health club to be formally recognized and Notre Dame flat out denies access to birth control for students. Religious freedom means being able to practice your religion as long as it doesn’t infringe on the rights of others.

Denying employees and students ample access to abortion or

contraception. infringes on their rights. Preach all you want that abortion is wrong, but don’t restrict my access to it.

Frankly, I’m tired of abortion access and reproductive health being up for debate. Opposition to things like SB 24 are rarely not centered around religion; I grew up around religion and understand why abortion is not supported. But, please, keep your holy book out of my uterus.

People should not have to beg and plead with society and with legislators that they deserve the basic right of healthcare and a right to privacy. Recent “heartbeat bills” proposed in states like Pennsylvania prove that this discussion is frustratingly, far from over.

The Fourth Amendment guarantees my right to privacy and legitimizes Roe v. Wade.

Why is the Second Amendment often cited in government for people to protect their guns? Yet the Fourth Amendment is often ignored in this very discussion.

Roe v. Wade needs to be codified, the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funding for

abortion, with some exceptions needs to be repealed and we need to stop debating whether or not people deserve reproductive rights. Because we do.

Universities constantly perpetuate the idea that their campus is the place where students should come to grow, learn and be their best selves.

How can people do this if they’re worried about reproductive health and can’t rely on their university, where they live, learn and potentially work, to provide this for them?

The resources we have here at SDSU are great and should be implemented everywhere Reproductive care should be 100% normalized, 100% free and 100% accessible at every campus across America. While we celebrate the passage of SB 24 as a huge step in the right direction, we can’t stop fighting for the reproductive rights of our peers across the country and across the world.

Sam Mason is a freshman studying criminal justice. Follow her on Twitter @sammmason.

Student athletes should not get paid by their school

by Aidan Skillingstad CONTRIBUTOR

Tensions between the tuitionpaying student body and full-ride scholarship athletes have always been an area of conflict at large public universities. It’s the ageold argument of students being disgruntled that others enjoy the luxuries they pay so much for, but free of charge.

This tension is furthered with the recent passing of Governor Gavin Newsom’s Fair Pay to Play Act which allows student athletes to use their own name, image and likeness in advertising and endorsement deals, so long as these endorsements do not conflict with the sponsorships of the university.

Despite the steps being taken currently, many argue that more legislation needs to be passed to guarantee ample compensation for student athletes. In other words, student athletes want to cash in on signing bonuses and big figure contracts.

However, I believe Gavin Newsom’s Fair Pay to Play Act is actually a step in the wrong direction and that more attention and focus should be given toward the already existing system of collegiate athletics before the floodgates of high-dollar spending are opened any wider.

Newsom’s new legislation furthers the divide between star players and athletes that receive little playing time. For the most part, only the star players on collegiate level teams receive scholarships that cover the entirety of their tuition. The rest of the players are held to the same expectations of work ethic of balancing classes and practices and showing up for games they’ll

inevitably be parked on the bench for, yet they are not rewarded for their efforts equally in any regard. If amateur athletes started garnering expensive contracts, it would only widen the divide that pits young adults against each other for the benefit of others’ entertainment.

I will concede it is understandable that athletes should be able to profit off of their own likeness for endorsement deals and sponsorships, as outlined in Newsom’s Fair Pay to Play Act. Young athletes spend their whole lives cultivating their talents and skills, and should be allowed to take offers from interested external companies that reach out to them.

For universities to explicitly prevent their athletes from thriving in any way possible, especially in a way that takes no funding out of the schools, is simply robbery.

However, to say universities should be responsible for paying their athletes with money that will undoubtedly be taken from academic budgets is ludicrous.

Before demanding contracts from universities, and even before the brand deals, there should be a commitment to the longevity of all student athletes, not just the ones who are already talented enough to make it professionally. It is a well known statistic that fewer than 2% of NCAA athletes actually end up playing their sport professionally.

For the 98% of student athletes who are not skilled enough to go pro, the reality is that collegiate athletics are simply a tool for better financial standing and economic freedom, just like any other student.

Newsom’s Fair Pay to Play Act does nothing to help this group of students. All of the critiques of the NCAA that were held by professional players like Lebron James still exist after the passing of

this legislation. In addition to the blatant disregard for the quality of their education, these students still face the potential revocation of scholarships for poor performance on the field. We are left with legislation that seems more focused on providing companies with another outlet of advertising than policies that actually aim to help student athletes lead successful lives.

What it ultimately boils down to is the transition of college athletics being driven primarily by the passion of the players to something that is now commercialized for American consumers.

Athletic programs and coaches across the nation face steep pressure to win games, leagues

and championships. This pressure accumulates rapidly, and coaches who do not lead their teams to victories are let go at the drop of a hat. This results in coaches spending every dollar in their possession on the recruitment of future prospects.

Take the University of Kansas, for instance. Although they are only ranked 15th on the list of highest-spending football programs in the nation, they still managed to spend $1,141,379 in the 2018 fiscal year on recruiting alone. Instead of applying these funds to the mere recruitment of star players, they could have been used to give more scholarships to players on the team who have not yet received them.

While California Governor Gavin Newsom’s Fair Pay to Play Act aims to support student athletes with ulterior modes of income, it ultimately works to support the already-occurring transition of collegiate athletics being financially driven. The focus should really be on how to improve the lives of all student athletes, not just the ones with enough popularity to get a large paycheck. Universities need to provide athletes with programs and resources that will be beneficial to them throughout their lives and support the 98%.

Aidan Skillingstad is a freshman studying English. Follow him on Twitter @skillingajs.

Graphic by Tobias Graves-Morris

6

Mundo Azteca

The Daily Aztec

Nov. 6 - 12, 2019 EDITOR: Alejandra Luna • mundoazteca@thedailyaztec.com

La comunidad LGBTQIA+ festeja el Día de Muertos dedicado a minorías

Foto por Catlan Nguyen

La comunidad LGBTQIA+ recordó a sus fallecidos con un altar de muertos.

por Lucelis ESCRITORA

Martínez

El primero de noviembre es reconocido por la comunidad hispana como el Día de Todos los Santos y el 2 va dedicado a el Día de Muertos. Mucha gente reconoce algunos de los símbolos asociados con este día, sin embargo, muchos no saben la larga historia y el gran impacto en las culturas que lo celebran.

México es uno de los países principales que festeja esta colorida tradición.

Para celebrar este día, las culturas lo acompañan con el conocido pan de muerto, el cual está hecho en forma circular, representando la vida y la muerte.

“Para los mexicanos, el color dorado de cempasúchil representa el sol, entonces es como una luz que guía a los ancestros a tu altar”, dijo Diego Smith, quien se encuentra en su tercer año en la Universidad Estatal de San Diego y es encargado de las redes sociales del Centro de Orgullo de la universidad.

A su vez, Smith agregó que cada ofrenda, representa los cuatro elementos, aire, fuego, tierra y agua.

El Centro de Orgullo quiso darle luz a los orígenes del Día de Muertos, es por ello que la presentación fue creada para el primero de noviembre. El centro informó sobre cómo los ancestros mexicanos empezaron las festividades de

Día de Muertos después de terminar una temporada agrícola. Cuando se producía maíz, los grupos indígenas les daban gracias a sus ancestros por cuidar la tierra anteriormente.

Además de resaltar a los orígenes del Día Muertos, el Centro De Orgullo deseaba enfatizar la conexión entre su centro de representación y la cultura mexicana.

“Aunque al estar aquí en el Centro De Orgullo LGBTQIA+, mi identidad como queer es representada, y también es importante que no estemos simplemente representando esa identidad porque las personas no son solamente queer”, señaló Wesley Palau, cabeza principal

del Centro de Orgullo en SDSU. “La gente puede ser queer e indocumentada, queer y afroamericana. Yo siento que es importante celebrar no solamente ciertas partes de nuestra identidad pero al individuo en su totalidad”.

La interseccionalidad es un término que explica cómo una persona puede identificarse con varios grupos a la misma vez. Por ejemplo, hay gente que es afroamericana, que también se identifica una persona transgénero.

La reunión en el Centro De Orgullo LGBTQIA+ también habló sobre la discriminación que existe para ese grupo en particular. Desafortunadamente, mucha gente que muere por discriminación nunca se menciona en artículos.

“De las estadísticas de asesinatos a la comunidad transgénero en EEUU , el 80 % de ellas eran personas que se identificaban como afroamericanes, y su expresión de género eran en el espectro femenine”, comentó Christion Covington , estudiante y miembro de grupos como BlacQ Space y Safezones. “Supimos que eso necesitaba ser reconocido y traído a la atención de más gente”.

En cambio, para la estudiante Jasmyne Robinson, de tercer año ciencia política y comunicaciones también es parte de SafeZones.

“Las vidas de las muchas mujeres que han sido asesinadas de la comunidad afroamericana son tan importantes como cualquier otra y merecen atención”, expresó Robinson.

Covington y Robinson se unieron para exponer los nombres de algunas de las mujeres, tanto cisgénero como transgénero y afroamericanas que han fallecido en manos de violencia.

Los nombres de las mujeres se pueden encontrar en YouTube como en el video, “The urgency of intersectionality”, Kimberlé Crenshaw.

La mezcla de todos estos diferentes temas tienen una similitud en que para el Centro De Orgullo LGBTQIA+ de SDSU, todos esos temas tienen importancia.

En memoria a Gus Chávez ex director de EOP en SDSU por Charlie ESCRITOR

Vargas

En las comunidades latinx, hay gente que son admirados por su dedicación a mejorar las situaciones de los que más necesitan ayuda.

Gus Chávez era una de esas personas y toda la comunidad latinx debe de tomar un momento para conocer el impacto que tuvo Chávez en la comunidad de la Universidad Estatal de San Diego y en el resto de la comunidad sandieguina.

Gus Chávez, ex alumno de SDSU, se graduó en 1971 con una licenciatura en ciencias políticas y fue director de servicios de apoyo para el estudiante.

Asimismo, Chávez fue responsable de unificar los cinco programas EOP: nativos americanos, afroamericanos, chicanos, filipinos y mujeres en un solo programa.

Chávez fue una pieza clave para establecer el Departamento de Estudios Chicano y Chicana, inspirado por el movimiento de derechos civiles.

Gonzalo Rojas era director de los Servicios de Extensión Estudiantil de SDSU y trabajó con Chávez en asuntos de director. Describió el enfoque que

tomaron como directores dirigido a mejorar la comunidad.

Fueron sus experiencias en MEChA lo que les ayudó a organizarse y luchar por las necesidades de su comunidad y en EOP. No era simplemente asumir el papel de combate, sino también una invitación para que otros se involucraran en el proceso a través de clubes como MEChA. Una de esas cualidades era la fundación cuando MEChA comenzó y Chávez era director.

Los miembros de MEChA tenían autoridad directa sobre quién podría ser contratado y despedido como facultad.

“MEChA era una organización estudiantil pero le trajo representación estudiantil, docente y comunitaria”, dijo Roja. “Fue realmente una organización amplia”.

La filosofía de las personas que se unen por el bien de la comunidad es algo que Rojas y Chávez esperan que inspire a los estudiantes.

“Los estudiantes deben reconocer la importancia de las habilidades de liderazgo en las organizaciones que ayudan en el mundo profesional”, mencionó Rojas. “Muchos de los estudiantes que se involucraron en estas

organizaciones al graduarse estaban listos para entrar y liderar en la comunidad”.

Cynthia Torres, coordinadora del área de recursos indocumentados, fue una de los estudiantes inspirada por el trabajo de Chávez y Rojas.

Torres trabajó con Chávez cuando era estudiante y también estaba involucrada en MEChA. Recuerda el momento cuando ella y Chávez primero se conocieron.

“En un momento lo estaba mirando, comencé a ponerme realmente nerviosa y él me preguntó qué pasaba y le dije que no sabía”, señaló Torres. “Me estaba volviendo loca porque era Gus Chávez”.

Chávez le dio un abrazo y le pidió que respirara hondo para darle un momento de alivio a Torres.

“Era muy sensato no se creía, era muy amable”, recordó Torres. “Te tomaba bajo de su ala y eso te hacía sentir especial”.

Torres fue influenciada para ayudar sistemáticamente a su comunidad por una clase de estudios de Chicano y Chicana que tomó en sus primeros años como estudiante transferida.

Después de trabajar con los consejeros para organizar eventos, Torres decidió que quería trabajar para EOP. “Me encanta este lugar, necesito

convertirme en un consejero de EOP para trabajar y retribuir a mi comunidad y ayudar a otros estudiantes que como yo no estaban destinados ni alentados a estar aquí”, añadió Torres.

Con Chávez como su mentor, Torres aprendió cómo navegar la comunidad.

“Cuando era director aquí, iba a las diferentes comunidades no solo a latino, sino a los afroamericanos, etc. Hubo mucho apoyo para EOP porque él estuvo muy involucrado en el movimiento de derechos civiles”, dijo Torres. “Era una persona muy influyente y cuando llegué a conocer a más personas en la comunidad, vi cómo todo estaba interconectado”.

Chávez falleció el 18 de agosto y su familia tuvo una celebración de vida para él en Chicano Park donde caminaron para la estación de Barrio Logan.

Torres dijo que en celebrar se dio cuenta del impacto de Chávez en ver las diferentes personas como sus profesores del colegio comunitario y su maestro de cuarto grado.

“Este hombre plantó semillas”, expresó Torres. “Tenemos todo un bosque de personas allá afuera. Se ha ido físicamente pero no en nuestros corazones y ese espíritu continúa viviendo”.

Nov. 6 - 12, 2019 EDITOR: Alejandra Luna • mundoazteca@thedailyaztec.com

Mundo Azteca

The Daily Aztec

7

El Departamento de Estudios Chicanos y Chicanas festeja sus 50 años con altar de Día de Muertos en la universidad por Diane López ASIST. DE MUNDO AZTECA

El Departamento de Estudios Chicanos y Chicanas de la Universidad Estatal de San Diego conmemora el Día de Muertos con su altar anual en la Colección Chicano y Chicana ubicada en la Biblioteca del Amor.

El primero de noviembre, la sala se llenó no solo de estudiantes y profesores de SDSU, sino también de graduados, familiares y activistas chicanos, quienes vinieron a honrar a aquellos que se ya no están con una ofrenda.

Cada año, el departamento crea un tema y este año el altar está dedicado a los líderes activistas, profesores y estudiantes que han ayudado a formar el departamento de Estudios Chicanos y Chicanas durante los últimos 50 años.

El altar también honra a los centroamericanos y mexicanos que perdieron la vida al emigrar a EEUU. Norma Iglesias-Prieto, profesora de la CCS, con la ayuda de sus alumnos, creó el altar no sólo para honrar a los muertos sino para hacer una declaración política, nombrando la conmemoración Aquellos que han venido antes: vidas robadas y ofrecidas.

"Algo que está afectando a nuestra comunidad hoy son los niños que han sido separados de sus familias, que están en jaulas y que algunos han muerto en manos de las autoridades de inmigración", dijo Iglesias-Prieto. "Por lo tanto, no queremos perder esta oportunidad de recordar a los niños que han muerto y están en nuestros corazones".

El altar fue hecho para que la comunidad aprenda más que el aspecto cultural de esta tradición.

El departamento de CCS quiere que aquellos que asisten a la conmemoración y visiten el altar aprendan más sobre aquellos que han perdido la vida luchando por la comunidad

Foto por Amal Younis

La profesora Norma Iglesias-Prieto conmemoró el Día de Muertos recordando a líderes chicanos.

chicana.

"Es más que una tradición, se trata de las personas que estamos honrando", señaló Iglesias-Prieto.

"Queremos que las personas recuerden su legado y sepan que el estilo de vida que tenemos hoy es gracias a quienes lucharon por nosotros antes".

El altar ha sido una tradición de Iglesias-Prieto durante los últimos 15 años y este es el primer año que se llevó a cabo en el Love Library, por lo que

“Es más que una tradición, se trata de las personas que estamos honrando”.

– Norma Iglesias-Prieto, Profesora de CCS.

es el más grande en tamaño y preparación para celebrar el 50 aniversario de CCS en SDSU. Iglesias-Prieto dijo que le llevó a ella, 8 estudiantes

y aproximadamente 30 voluntarios, más de mil horas para hacer este altar posible.

Abuelitas y madres de los estudiantes y la facultad de CCS formaron parte de los voluntarios que ayudaron a crear los artículos que están en la ofrenda, haciendo lo más que solo un proyecto escolar, pero dándole una toque familiar.

Cada artículo en la ofrenda fue hecho a mano y ha estado en proceso desde mayo de 2019.

Cada uno de los siete coloridos escalas tenía comidas tradicionales, cempasúchiles, velas, y hasta juguetes para ofrecer a aquellos quienes fueron conmemorados en la ofrenda.

El altar tiene 27 fotos de activistas, líderes y educadores chicanos.

El departamento chicano también quería conmemorar la vida de cinco niños que murieron en manos de las autoridades de inmigración.

Mónica Van Deerlin Murillo, estudiante de CCS es una de las participantes que estuvo trabajando en este proyecto durante los últimos siete meses

y dijo que era más que una experiencia cultural e indígena, era para concienciar a los niños quienes se murieron enjaulados en los centros de detención de ICE. "Sabemos que ha habido muchos niños que han muerto en los centros de detención de ICE y en el cautiverio fronterizo, por eso también incluimos fotos de niños que han sido asesinados en manos de ICE y de la policía de inmigración", dijo Murillo.

Ana Miguel, estudiante de cuarto año de CCS y también uno de los 8 estudiantes que trabajaron innumerables horas en el campus y en el garaje de Iglesias-Prieto, mencionó que es importante saber que hay un significado político para este altar y espera que la audiencia se vaya con más conciencia de lo que está sucediendo actualmente en la comunidad chicano /a.

"Siento que mucha gente viene pensando que es bonito, pero es más que eso, hay una historia detrás del Día de los Muertos y no solo está lleno de color", dijo Miguel. "Es donde nos conectamos con nuestros

antepasados, es donde regresan a nosotros y también estamos reconociendo a los activistas chicanos por el trabajo que hicieron".

La comunidad fue recibida con música en vivo por La Rondalla Amerindia de Aztlán, una banda formado por profesores emeritus y graduados de SDSU, actuación musical de la profesora CCS Coral Mcfarland Thuet, discursos de profesores del departamento y con el tradicional Pan de Muerto con café.

El altar junto con los libros de biografía explican quién está en la ofrenda, lo cual también fueron realizadas a mano y estarán disponibles para el público hasta el 15 de noviembre.

"El Día de Muertos es una celebración personal pero también comunitaria, por lo que el otro objetivo de nuestro celebración es ayudar a forzar y formar una comunidad ", añadió Iglesias-Prieto.

"Necesitamos estar juntos, especialmente en tiempos difíciles".

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8

Sports

The Daily Aztec

Nov. 6 - 12, 2019 EDITOR: Aaron Tolentino • sports@thedailyaztec.com

SDSU boasts World Series and NBA Finals MVP Stephen Strasburg joins fellow alum Kawhi Leonard to make SDSU only school with two postseason MVPs in same season.

by Kyle Betz ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Strasburg are Aztecs for life.

Both athletes went to San Diego State at the same time in 2009 and were first-round draft picks coming out of college.

Both also won their first championship Most Valuable Player awards this year – with Leonard winning NBA Finals MVP in June and Strasburg winning World Series MVP on Oct. 30.

This is the first time in the history of professional sports that two players from the same university have been named championship series MVPs in the same season.

Let’s also not forget that Leonard and Strasburg led their teams to their first-ever championships.

Leonard had a memorable series against the Golden State Warriors en route to his second NBA title and Finals MVP award (first one with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014).

The two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year led the Raptors in points (28.5) and rebounds (9.8) per game to lead Toronto

to an NBA championship in six games. He also led the NBA in total points (732) and minutes (939) last postseason.

Strasburg, a local San Diegan from West Hills High School in Santee, started in Games 2 and 6 against the Houston Astros in this year’s World Series.

The former No. 1 overall draft pick allowed two runs in six innings in Game 2 before pitching 8 1/3 innings and allowing two runs in the Nationals’ win-or-go-home Game 6 victory.

In total, Strasburg’s efforts resulted in 14 total strikeouts, three walks and a 2.51 ERA in the World Series.

He is also the first pitcher in MLB history to go 5-0 in a single postseason.

Strasburg now has a career 1.46 ERA during the playoffs, which is the third-lowest in postseason history of pitchers who have pitched at least 40 innings.

Needless to say, these two have represented SDSU well throughout the past decade.

Kyle Betz is a junior studying journalism. Follow him on Twitter @KyleBBetz.

File photos

Kawhi Leonard (top) attended SDSU from 2009-2011, and Stephen Strasburg (bottom) attended SDSU from 2007-2009.

Men’s basketball wins home opener in blowout fashion

by Aaron Tolentino SPORTS EDITOR

San Diego State men’s basketball scored 20 unanswered points in the first half to eventually notch a 77-42 victory over Texas Southern on Tuesday night at Viejas Arena. The win marked SDSU’s fourth consecutive win over the Tigers, including last season’s 104-63 victory. Here are three observations in the Aztecs’ victory.

3-POINT PARTY IN THE FIRST HALF LED BY SCHAKEL They said SDSU was a party school, but tonight was a different kind of party on campus.

It was a party from distance inside Viejas as the Aztecs shot 9-of-17 (52%) on 3-pointers against the Tigers in the first half.

Senior guard KJ Feagin, junior guard Malachi Flynn, junior forward Matt Mitchell, freshman forward Keshad Johnson and junior guard Jordan Schakel joined in on the fun.

Thanks to the hot shooting in the first half, SDSU went on to score 20 unanswered points, including nine from beyond the arc.

“It’s always devastating when you can make threes at a high clip like that,” Schakel said.

“We have a lot of good shooters on this team. When you move the ball like that, it’s bound to happen.”

Schakel led the way shooting 4-of-5 from distance for a total of 15 points on seven shots –

Photo by Sam Mayo

SDSU junior guard Malachi Flynn handles the ball in the Aztecs’ 77-42 win over Texas Southern on Nov. 5 at Viejas Arena.

missing only two shots in 23 minutes. Those four 3-pointers tied a career high.

He started off scorching hot with 11 points in nine minutes, shooting 4-for-4 from the field including three 3-pointers made.

With the game seemingly out of reach after halftime, Schakel did not get the opportunity to topple his career high of 16 points, which came in a 103-64

win against Texas Southern at home a year ago.

Schakel only logged one shot attempt after halftime and his career high remains at 16 points and four 3-pointers made.

“Sometimes that’s just how the game goes,” he said of the second half. “Hopefully I can save that (hot shooting) and bring it on Saturday (against BYU) because we’re going to need it.”

HEAD COACH BRIAN DUTCHER GOES 13-DEEP WITH HIS BENCH Aztecs head coach Brian Dutcher utilized his bench in a way that should not be expected moving forward against tougher opponents.

It’s safe to say that a 35-point win has something to do with Dutcher playing 13 men tonight.

However, it wasn’t like a sea of reserves came in late in the second half during garbage time.

Dutcher brought his tenth player to the floor when sophomore forward Aguek Arop subbed in with 8:49 left in the first half.

Dutcher said he plans on playing more guys this season due do the defensive strategy he wants to implement.

“I think we’ll play more players this year,” Dutcher said. “We’re pressing. We’re (defending) 94 feet the entire game. That wears the other team down, so if I’m asking these guys to pick up and press, that’s a lot of work.

So I’ll go to the bench.”

Though Dutcher added he won’t play 11 guys, but he also won’t play tired legs.

“As the season goes on, I want to play guys who are producing on the floor,” he said.

With about seven minutes into the game, the first two subs Dutcher brought in were Mitchell and junior guard Trey Pulliam.

Of all the transfers who arrived on the Mesa this season, Pulliam seemed to have been overlooked by players like

Flynn, Feagin and Wetzell.

While he may not be in the starting five such as those guys, the Navarro College transfer brought the ball up the court as the primary ball handler for the second unit.

Dutcher said Pulliam serves as the backup point guard whose best ability is handling the ball and running the offense when Feagin isn’t running the point.

MALACHI FLYNN SHOWS OFF HIS SCORING After an atypical shooting night from junior guard Malachi Flynn (eight points on 2-of7 shooting) in the exhibition against UC San Diego last Wednesday, the transfer showed Viejas Arena a glimpse of what is to come.

Flynn had more recognizable statline of 15 points on 6-of11 shooting and 2-of-4 from beyond the arc.

“I felt good, just trying to get into a rhythm, continue to be aggressive. Eventually, they’re going to fall,” said Flynn, who played in his last regular-season game 20 months ago. “I think just getting out there being more comfortable. Just another game feel, just continue to do that, I think it’ll help.”

As someone who averaged 15 points per game at Washington State his sophomore year, Flynn is just getting started on the Mesa.

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

Nov. 6 - 12, 2019 EDITOR: Aaron Tolentino • sports@thedailyaztec.com

Sports

The Daily Aztec

9

Club hockey secures consecutive wins over Washington

by Amber Salas CONTRIBUTOR

San Diego State hockey came out with a strong offensive force in consecutive days on Nov. 1 and 2 against Washington where it was able to defeat the Huskies in both games (6-1 and 6-3) in front of a home crowd at Joan Kroc Center.

GAME 1 The first game against the Huskies on Friday started out as a back-and-forth effort between the teams.

The Huskies gained their first lead 30 seconds into the first period with a goal from freshman forward Aaron Morris, which would be the only goal from them the rest of the night.

After the first goal, SDSU put its first point up on the board five minutes into the first period with a goal from sophomore forward Derian Theberge.

“Ultimately, one of the things this team does is attack 5-on-5,” head coach Phil Bateman said.

“When it’s flat and pucks aren’t moving it brings the thing down that’s why it looked even in the beginning.”

The offense struck in three goals during the second period. Senior forward Aaron Meyer scored the Aztec’s second goal of the night five minutes into the second period.

Washington’s confidence

seemed to dwindle away as the Aztecs continued to move the puck with force, finding the net two more times in the second period with goals from freshman Blake Reed and a power-play goal from sophomore Elisha Reece.

The Aztecs’ offensive possession came as no surprise to coach Bateman.

“They’ve been doing it all year,” Bateman said. “Coming into this game we were actually third in the nation in offense out of 192 teams.”

The Aztecs were able to score two more goals in the third period to end game regulation with a final score of 6-1.

GAME 2 Coming into game two against the Huskies, Aztecs junior captain Reece Breuckman said his message to his team was to not get complacent.

“We can’t just assume we’re going to come out here and win again,” he said. “We need to play exactly how we did today and come out with the same type of energy.”

SDSU came out with energy that led to five goals in the first period. Aztecs sophomore Mickey Sullivan scored the first goal of the game 49 seconds into the first period.

Washington (3-8-1, Pac-8 Conference) was given a twominute penalty for tripping to

Photo by Luis Lopez

SDSU senior forward Aaron Mayer (9) attempts to take the puck away from a Washington player in the Aztecs’ 6-1 win over Washington on Nov. 1 at Joan Kroc Center.

give the Aztecs a five-on-four advantage over the Huskies.

Junior Wesley Varrasso was able to take possession of the puck and find freshman Blake Reed who took a backhand shot to score a power-play goal giving the Aztecs a 2-1 lead.

Exactly five seconds later, sophomore Derian Theberge broke away with the puck to score another goal for the Aztecs.

Washington was able to get its first goal of the game moments before the end of the first period as sophomore forward Jonathan White shot a backhand that went right under the post of the net.

The Aztecs (11-2-1, Pac-8 Conference) came firing back five seconds later as senior forward

Aaron Mayer went speeding down the line to take a shot against Washington goaltender Bennett Jarvis to give the Aztecs a fourgoal lead.

Mayer scored three goals total in the two games.

Things began to slow down in the second and third period.

The Aztecs were unable to score in the second period and let Washington gain some momentum by allowing them to start the period with a power-play.

“Anytime you start a period killing a penalty you’re going to be in your heels,” Bateman said. “It changes the mindset. I felt like the first half of the second period we never got out of that funk.”

The Aztecs were given a one-

man advantage seven times total in game two, thanks to Washington penalties but were only able to score in one of those power-plays.

“We need to shoot more and stay in our positions better,” Theberge said of the missed opportunities.

“We will definitely work on that at practice the next coming weeks.”

Despite these issues, the Aztecs still managed to come out on top with a final score of 6-3.

Editor’s note: The Aztecs defeated UCLA by a score of 8-1 on Sunday, Nov. 3.

Amber Salas is a junior studying journalism. Follow her on Twitter @ambersalass.

Baseball switches from uniforms to costumes in Halloween game

by Daniel Guerrero and Luis Lopez

It was a perfect afternoon for San Diego State baseball at Tony Gwynn Stadium on Nov. 2.

Players are positioned out on the field, and now stepping up to the plate is none other than … Spider-Man? No, rather it’s freshman pitcher Johnny Guzman dressed as the iconic webslinger during the Aztecs’ annual Halloween game.

What may seem like an oddity for a baseball game comes with a greater meaning as the Aztecs swap their traditional Scarlet and Black jerseys for Halloween costumes in an event to support the Down Syndrome Association, Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome and Best Buddies.

The annual Halloween game was originally created as an offseason activity for the team but has now become a way to give back to the greater San Diego community.

SDSU was one of the first baseball programs to create such an event, which even garnered attention from the MLB. Head coach Mark Martinez, who wore a military-themed costume, said the event is a great way for the team to let loose before the season begins.

“That’s the whole idea of it: to break up the fall and let our hair down, check our egos at the door and just have some

Photo by Luis Lopez

Freshman pitcher Johnny Guzman prepares to face a pitch during the Aztecs’ annual Halloween game on Nov. 2 at Tony Gwynn Stadium while dressed as Spider-Man.

fun playing baseball,” Martinez said. “Partnering with the Down syndrome (organizations) has just been so humbling and a great experience for us. It’s been a great marriage with the DSA.” Prior to the Aztecs’ costumed intersquad game, SDSU hosted the Challenger game which allowed kids from the organizations to share the field with the players.

Sophomore pitcher Michael Paredes, who dressed as the Zohan from Adam Sandler’s “You don’t mess with the

Zohan,” said the event helped the team bond and give back.

“It’s a good time for us to get together,” Paredes said. “It means a lot that we have the Challenger league come out with us. It’s definitely a blast and we all have a good time.”

One of the annual traditions includes playing out of their usual positions.

While sophomore pitcher Aaron Eden usually relies on his infielders to make plays for him, he found himself in his infielders’ shoes.

Eden said playing out of position gave him a chance to play in different manner than he’s used to.

“It was kind of scary,” Eden said. “I missed (a) fly ball. It was cool, but I didn’t have to be so serious like I am on the mound and I’m actually hurt that I made an error today.”

Since its origin, the Halloween game has become a tradition for the program. Junior outfielder Matt Rudick, who wore a “Baby Shark” costume, said the event gives the Aztecs a break

from their offseason training program.

“San Diego State was one of the first ones to do this event,” Rudick said. “It gets everyone together and we have a really good time. It’s an event where we can dress up and have some fun on the ball field.”

Daniel Guerrero is a senior and Luis Lopez is a junior – both are studying journalism. Follow them on Twitter @TheDanGuerrero and @Lopez509Luis.

10

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Arts & Culture

SDSU rapper returns

Former football player turned musician performs at his alma mater

by Kassandra CONTRIBUTOR

Cabal

Trading in cleats for a mic and a beat.

Former San Diego State football player turned rapper, Kalan.FrFr, performed on Oct. 29 at the Aztec Student Union Theater. The SDSU alum returned with a thrilling performance and shared his own personal struggles with navigating and breaking into the music industry. Originally from Los Angeles, before he was known as Kalan.FrFr, Kalan was walking the same hallways as students do now while playing defensive back for SDSU. The rapper admits during his time at SDSU he struggled to commit to either football or music, often stretching himself thin to perform shows back in LA and make it back to San Diego in time for practice. Ultimately, Kalan chose music over football.

“I’ve always been in love with music since I was a little kid, I always played instruments and stuff,” Kalan said. “I was always split between football and music my entire life and I had to pick which one I loved more.”

But he described the struggle to get people to listen to his music as less than glamorous.

“With everyone wanting to be a rapper it’s hard to get people to listen to your stuff,” Kalan said.

“If you’re good at what you do and keep pushing, your time will come.”

Last year, Kalan dropped two projects, “TwoFr” and “Hurt.” Both projects have rose in popularity and given the rapper plenty of momentum and exposure. Kalan teased about upcoming music with fans, telling them about the remix of his most popular song “Right Wit It” with a feature from YG. With his energetic and charming personality, it is easy to

Nov. 6 - 12, 2019 EDITOR: Ceighlee Fennel • arts@thedailyaztec.com

Kanye’s gospel album leans into controversy

by Johann Derek Oribello SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Photo by Kassandra Cabal

Kalan.FrFr is an SDSU alum who returned to campus to play at his old stomping grounds.

see why so many people enjoy his music. Kalan.FrFr has a dedicated fanbase, with everyone in the theater dancing and shouting out the lyrics.

Business junior Savannah Richardson is one of Kalan.FrFr’s fans. She said she found his lyrics enticing, “I’ve been a fan of his music for a long time,” Richardson said. ‘‘His flirtatious lyrics and beats were what drew me in. It’s cool to see someone from our school make it big” Freshman and Associated Students photographer Jano Paredes said he was happy to learn about Kalan at the event.

“His energy was amazing, I hadn’t heard of his music until I found out about the event,” Paredes said. “Seeing him perform live was a really cool experience.

He is a really down-to-earth guy and treated everyone here with so much respect.”

Kalan.FrFr’s infectious energy showed in his performance. With each song, attendees could see the passion he has and how he treats a small intimate show with the same charisma as selling out a bigger venue. The room’s energy was very carefree, with people dancing and singing along. Students enjoyed the music, giving Kalan the same feel-good energy he had on stage.

The rapper’s set was cut short due to the fire alarm going off, but after a couple of minutes, the rapper got back “Right Wit It,” and went back on to give the students a show they would not forget.

Kassandra Cabal is a junior studying public relations.

On Oct. 25, Kanye West dropped his much-anticipated gospel rap album, “Jesus is King.” The project marks his ninth studio album and follows a heavy Christian theme.

The project contains 11 tracks and features guest appearances from artists such as Ty Dolla Sign, Clipse and Kenny G for a total runtime of 27 minutes.

Kanye received much controversy over the disorganized rollout to his album release and his decision to center the album around a gospel sound.

He originally planned to drop the album last year before having it delayed numerous times.

Following his recent “religious rebirth” to Christianity as well as his weekly Sunday Service sessions where he gathers a gospel choir to cover various gospel songs and informal sermons, the album’s focus and overarching theme does not come as a surprise.

Despite his fans’ doubts about Kanye tying his musical endeavors with his religion, he stood strong in his decision. According to a New York Times article, he firmly asserted the reason for the album’s themes in a listening party prior to the album’s release.

“This album has been made to be an expression of the gospel,” Kanye said. “(The album’s purpose is) to share the gospel and the truth of what Jesus has done to me.”

Kanye also addressed the controversy directly in the album through the song, “Hands On,” featuring gospel singer Fred Hammonds. In it he raps, “Said I’m finna do a gospel album / What have you been hearin’ from the Christians? / They’ll be the first ones to judge me.”

With luscious production that’s reminiscent of earlier works such as his first album, “The College Dropout,” it is clear Kanye incorporated much of his old, soulful sample-based production that fans and casual listeners alike admire and gravitate towards.

Standout tracks of the project include “Selah,” “God is,” “Everything We Need” and “Use This Gospel.”

While the project overall has outstanding instrumentals similar to what fans consider “old Kanye,” many of his lyrics throughout the album are sub-par at best.

Despite the lack of substantial lyrics, Kanye did incorporate new elements such as a more focused effort into his singing in this album that isn’t as prominent in his past works.

One track that exemplifies this is the song “Use This Gospel,” featuring the rap duo Clipse and acclaimed jazz saxophonist Kenny G. The song centers on Kanye preaching God’s forgiveness and showing gratitude for his blessings as he sings, “Use this gospel for protection / Its a hard road to Heaven.” Coupled with exceptional verses from rappers Pusha T and No Malice as well as a Kenny G saxophone solo, the song is definitely a highlight of the entire project.

Despite all the controversy surrounding the album and its release, Kanye did reveal in an interview that he intends to release another album on Christmas day titled, “Jesus is Born.”

Considering his recent antics with delaying projects constantly and pushing back deadlines, this upcoming project may or may not see the light of day on Christmas.

Johann Derek Oribello is a senior studying journalism.

C.H.E.F. offers free cooking classes to students with healthy recipes

by Roxana Becerril STAFF WRITER

For some college students, life on campus may be a confined space with limited cooking appliances.

Depending on creativity levels, this could pose a challenge to eating something other than a bowl of cereal.

The stress from time-consuming school work and other activities can also contribute to a lack of motivation to cook meals at home.

Well aware of the reasons why a cup of noodles might sound like a more practical dinner option than a more home-made meal, the Well-Being and Health Promotion department at San Diego State is offering free cooking classes to change mindsets on healthy eating.

The C.H.E.F. (Cooking Healthy Eating Fresh) cooking classes are free to all SDSU students and usually don’t exceed an hour, according to public health graduate student Lauren Bossi.

“We teach students really

simple, easy recipes they can make in their dorm, often times without heat or the use of a lot of equipment,” said Bossi. “(We use) ingredients from Trader Joe’s or BrightSide Produce.”

With the help of the university’s Mobi cart, or the Health Promotion’s Mobile Demonstration Kitchen, Bossi and food and nutrition senior Jackie Laniado demonstrated how to make a roasted veggie bowl in the latest cooking class.

First, students completed a survey that asked about their thoughts on cooking, eating healthy and other information.

Then, they took to the cooking stations. Students began to work on creating the veggie bowl.

Bossi and Laniado led the class with easy-to-follow instructions while providing details of the ingredients’ nutritional values and tips on where to buy them.

Participants followed each step by going up to the mobile kitchen and adding ingredients such as brown rice and kale to their bowls. Other foods such as hemp

seeds and spices circled around the room at each cooking station.

When it came time to cook frozen chunks of bell peppers, the room experienced an unexpected technical issue with the the burners’ fuel source. Amidst jokes of survival tests, the instructors turned to the microwaves for heating and continued.

Shortly after, most students finished their hearty bowls of veggies topped with avocado and hemp seeds by mixing in a spoonful of Trader Joe’s pepita salsa — a red soupy mixture of pumpkin seeds, tomatoes and bell peppers.

A vast majority of the participants seemed content with their finished product considering some didn’t hesitate to eat their meal straight from the bowl.

Apart from being able to enjoy her roasted veggie meal, speech and hearing sciences junior Joanna Mahfouz said the most enjoyable part of the class was the ease of the recipe.

“I thought it was fun and really simple,” Mahfouz said. “Even

though they had some difficulties, the whole thing only took around 10 minutes to make so I liked the easy aspect of it.”

Participants get reusable tote

bag filled with cooking supplies, such as a cutting board, at the end.

Roxana Becerril is a senior studying journalism.

Photo by Roxana Becerril

Students created veggies bowls, photographed above, during one of C.H.E.F.’s free classes.

Nov. 6 - 12, 2019 EDITOR: Ceighlee Fennel • arts@thedailyaztec.com

Arts & Culture

The Daily Aztec

11

Sandwich smackdown: All about chicken

by Devin Whatley STAFF WRITER

On Aug. 12, Popeyes premiered its version of the chicken sandwich, igniting a viral debate on social media over who has the best chicken sandwich: Popeyes or ChickFil-A. The debate seemed to be over when Popeyes announced it had sold out of their sandwiches due to high demand on Aug. 28.

But, on Nov. 3, the battle for chicken sandwich supremacy was reignited.

Popeyes announced the return of its chicken sandwich to all restaurants nationwide on “National Sandwich Day,�

Nov. 3.

Along with the return, Popeyes said their sandwich will be back for good, as it becomes a permanent item on the menu.

With the return of the Popeyes sandwich, people are now at odds again over which one is better, there was even a line of cars down Montezuma waiting multiple hours to roll up to Popeyes’ drive-thru window.

Social work sophomore Marco Sanchez said he believes Popeyes’ sandwich stands out over Chick-Fil-A, but admits it feels overrated. “I honestly think the Popeyes sandwich is overhyped,� Sanchez said. “It is a good sandwich, but Chick-Fil-A’s sandwich is just as good. The pickles in the Popeyes sandwich make it stand out just a little more than the other.�

For speech, language and hearing sciences senior Lauryn Merriweather, both sandwiches stand out on their own for being delicious. If she had to choose

one though, her pick would be Popeyes. “The Popeyes sandwich is really great and has more flavor than the Chick-Fil-A sandwich,� said Merriweather. “Both sandwiches are good though and you can’t go wrong with either or.�

B u s i n e s s sophomore Spencer Sundlie said he prefers Chick-Fil-A due to its chicken having a higher quality of taste. “I’ll take ChickFil-A (sandwich) anyday,� Sundlie said. “Their fried chicken is just better and tastes of higher quality.�

Both sandwiches feature the traditional fixes of a chicken sandwich - chicken breast, pickles and a bun. Besides those things, Popeyes and Chick-Fil-A add many unique features to make their sandwiches different from the rest of the pack.

C h i c k - F i l - A’s chicken sandwich features a toasted and buttered bun, two dill pickle chips and pressurecooked, handbreaded chicken breast in 100% refined peanut oil, according to their website.

Popeyes chicken sandwich features a toasted brioche bun, a layer of

Graphic by Leilani Tashima

mayonnaise, two crisp barrel cured pickles and hand breaded and battered chicken breast in buttermilk coating with a mix of Louisiana seasonings, according to their website.

The Chick-Fil-A sandwich features a signature taste. The touch of butter and light toasting of bread gives the sandwich a soft cushion for the chicken.

The chicken’s coating is not too crispy, and not too soft.

However, it lacks in terms of juiciness and flavor. The pickles add a tanginess to it.

At the end of the day, it tastes like a well-made, solid chicken sandwich, but does not go above and beyond to represent the perfect chicken sandwich. If you like your chicken sandwich meaty and hearty, Chick-Fil-A is for you.

Although Popeyes has just emerged on the scene with their chicken sandwich, it reigns supreme over Chick-Fil-A due to its sandwich being crispier, juicier and packing more overall flavor with the arrangement of the buttermilk battered chicken, pickles and mayonnaise.

Both sandwiches are great in their own right, it is just a matter of personal preference as to which is better.

However, there must be a winner, and Popeyes takes the crown for the best chicken sandwich.

Devin Whatley is a sophomore studying journalism.

College Area brewery stands out with unique selection

Photo by Jack Molmud

by Johann Oribello SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Sitting on the corner of Art Street and El Cajon Blvd, Black Market Brewing Co. stands out as one of the few local microbreweries within walking distance of San Diego State. The microbrewery boasts a drink menu featuring more than 15 different beer taps, all locally brewed by the company.

Ranging from light, pale lagers to dark stouts, Black Market Brewing Co. has every style of beer covered. One delicious brew they have on tap is their Great White Buffalo, a white coffee stout brewed and blended perfectly with vanilla and fresh Guatemalan coffee. For a stout, this brew is on the lighter end in terms of color and appearance due to the notes of vanilla.

Nevertheless, the Great White Buffalo is a fantastic brew that smells and tastes just like white coffee, made to satisfy coffee and stout lovers alike. Another fantastic brew is the Shakedown, dubbed as a west coast style brown ale. With notes of chocolate, coffee, toffee and caramel, it’s clear to see why this brew won numerous awards and competitions.

The Shakedown boasts silver medals

in both the Los Angeles and San Diego International Beer Festivals in 2018 and 2010, respectively. The chocolate and caramel hints of this drink makes it a delightful spin on traditional brown ale flavors.

Besides an impressive list of brews, the restaurant also serves a plethora of delicious oven-baked pizzas. They even offer an option to build your own pizza and a variety of small bites such as pretzels, nachos, salads and wings. One of their oven-baked pizzas that’s a must try is the Capone which includes ricotta, fresh basil and sliced meatballs.

The cheesiness from the ricotta matched with the meatballs makes this a satisfying pie to pair any of their brews with.

The locally owned and operated company first started brewing in a large garage in 2009, according to its website.

Their commitment to making high-quality brews later led them the opportunity to open their first location in Temecula. Their success as one of Temecula’s first microbreweries made way for them to have their beers on shelves and establishments found throughout Southern California, Arizona and Washington.

With the success of their Temecula establishment, the company was able to open up a new location right here by

SDSU. The SDSU location first opened up in the summer of 2019 and features a spacious interior with a large bar that’s equipped with all of their microbrews on tap.

The establishment also has a gorgeous outdoor patio space with complete with Cornhole game boards. Unlike other breweries, Black Market Brewery Co. provides a variety of traditional beers brewed with a unique twist.

Take one of their blonde ales called Deception as an example, which is brewed

with coconut and lime.

The use of these two ingredients sets Deception’s unique flavor profile apart from how a traditional blonde ale taste.

It’s a shining example of how the brewery takes a traditional style of beer and put its own personal touch to it to help make their craft beers stand out. Overall, Black Market Brewery Co. is a fantastic spot tucked away in the College Area to try out some of the finest local microbrews San Diego has to offer.

Johann Derek Obriello is a senior studying journalism.

Associated Students (A.S.) is currently accepting applications for the following volunteer leadership position:

ELECTIONS COORDINATOR

Applications can be picked up in the Associated Students Office, located on the third floor of the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union.

DEADLINE: THUR, NOV. 14, 2019 @ 4:00PM

619-594-6555 as.sdsu.edu

12

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The Back Page

Nov. 6 - 12, 2019 Editor: Ceighlee Fennel • arts@thedailyaztec.com

Day of the Dead takes on politcial issues

Photos by Amal Younis

Graphics by Emily Burgess

by Diane Lopez ASSISTANT EDITOR FOR MUNDO AZTECA

Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican tradition that spans from Nov. 1 to 2 every year. It is a time to remember loved ones who have passed away. People don’t celebrate their loved ones by being sad, but rather it is a moment of remembrance and honorance of their loved one’s legacies.

The Department of Chicano and Chicana Studies at San Diego State commemorates the Day of the Dead with their annual altar at the Chicano and Chicana Collection in the Love Library.

On Nov. 1, the room was filled with not only students and faculty, but also alumni, family members and Chicano/a activists who came to honor those whose photos were put up the altar. Every year the department creates a theme, and this year the altar is dedicated to the activist leaders, faculty and students who have helped form the Department of Chicano and Chicana Studies over the last 50 years.

The altar also pays tribute to the Central Americans and Mexicans who lost their lives migrating to the U.S. Professor Norma Iglesias-Prieto and her students assembled the altar to honor the dead and to make a political statement. They named the commemoration, “Those Who Have Came Before: Stolen and Offered Lives.”

“Something that is affecting our community today are the kids who have been separated from their families, who are in cages and that some have died in the hands of immigration authorities,” IglesiasPrieto said. “So we don’t want to lose this opportunity to remember those children who have died and are linked to our hearts.”

The altar was made for the community to learn more about more than just the cultural side of this tradition.

The Department of Chicano and Chicana Studies wants those who attend the commemoration and visit the altar to learn

about those who have lost their lives fighting for Chicano/a community.

“It is more than just a tradition, it is about the people we are honoring,” Iglesias-Prieto said. “We want people to remember their legacy and to know that the lifestyle we have today is thanks to those who fight for us before.”

The altar has been Iglesias-Prieto’s tradition for the last 15 years, and this is the first year it has been held in the Love Library, making it the biggest it has ever been to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Department of Chicano and Chicana Studies at SDSU. Iglesias-Prieto said it took her, her students and 30 volunteers over 1,000 hours to make this altar possible.

Grandmothers and mothers of the students and department faculty helped create the items on the ofrenda (altar), making it more than just a school project, but giving it a family feel as well. Every item on the ofrenda was handmade and has been in the making since May 2019. Each of the altar’s seven colorful steps have traditional foods, marigolds, candles and several other items to offer to those who have been put on the ofrenda.

The altar has the photos of 27 Chicano activists, leaders and educators. The Chicano department also wanted to commemorate the lives of five children who have died in the hands of immigration authorities.

Chicano and Chicana studies senior Mónica Van Deerlin Murillois, one of the students who worked on this project for the last seven months, said it was more than just an experience of cultural and indigenous significance. She said it was to bring awareness to the several children who have died caged up in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers.

“We know there has been a lot of children that have died in ICE detention centers and border captivity, so this is why we also included photos of children that have been killed in hands of ICE and immigration law enforcement as well,” Murillo said.

Chicano and Chicana studies senior Ana Miguel is one of eight students who worked countless hours on campus and in IglesiasPrieto’s garage to make the altar. She said it is important to know there is a political meaning to this altar and hopes that the audience leaves with more awareness of what is happening in the Chicano/a community today.

“I feel like a lot of people are coming in just thinking it is pretty, but it is more than that,” Miguel said.” There is a history behind Día de los Muertos and it’s not just full of color. It is where we connect with our ancestors, it is where they come back to us and we are also recognizing the Chicano activists for the work that they did.”

The community was received with live

music by La Rondalla Amerindia de Aztlán, a band formed by former professors and alumni of SDSU, a music performance by department Professor Coral Mcfarland Thuet, speeches from professors of the department and traditional Pan de Muerto, Bread of the Dead, with coffee. The altar includes handmade biography books to explain who is on the ofrenda, and will be open to the public until Nov. 15.

“The Day of the Dead is a personal but also a community celebration, so the other goal of our celebration is to help form a community,” Iglesias-Prieto said. “We need to be together, especially in difficult times.”

Diane Lopez communication.

is

a

senior

studying

CREDIT CLASSES AZTEC RECREATION Associated Students / SDSU

Spring 2020

Sports

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