11-21-2013

CLOTHING EXCHANGE

HAPPY HOUR

GUIDE

cover art design by carlos jimenez, production designer

/

photography courtesy of thinkstock

2 FEATURES

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

#BARGAINSANDDEALS

The Aztec’s guide to happy hour OLIVIA LITSEY

SENIOR STAFF WRITER In this early stage of the holiday season, the prospect of stress makes many feel the need to relax while they still can.

Here are a few wallet-friendly places to spend an hour or two eating, drinking and being happy.

C Level This cleverly named restaurant, one of 19 restaurants of the Cohn Restaurant Group Inc., is accordingly situated near the water on Harbor Island Drive.

Customers have great view of Coronado and Downtown San Diego. Happy hour is available on weekdays from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Appetizers, such as crispy calamari, served with Vietnamese dipping sauce, and steamed Fox River mussels served in pinot grigio, chorizo, arugula, and a carmelized onion cream sauce, are $5.

C Level drinks such as the Sol y Mar, a grapefruit vodka with aloe juice and fresh lemon, and the Desi Arnaz, a fruity

rum with mint and soda, are the same price. Selected brews are $4.

Elbowroom This bar has a friendly neighborhood atmosphere and is located in Kearny Mesa. During the weekday happy hour, which is Monday through Friday from 3-7 p.m., drinks, drafts and bottles are $1 off. The food menu ranges. The pork street tacos are $1.50 and a cheeseburger and fries is $4.95. The Legendary Weekend Happy Hour lasts from opening to 6 p.m. on both days. In addition to the food options available on weekdays, well drinks and draft beers are $2.50. There are 16 high-definition TVs, a fire pit and a dog-friendly patio, all there to meet every customer’s satisfaction.

La Fiesta serves classic Mexican dishes at a low price. CHELSEA MASSEY, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

La Fiesta This restaurant, located in downtown, focuses on a modern twist on traditional food from the Mexican culture, with an emphasis on its specialty margaritas and more than 50 different types of tequila.

Happy hour is Monday through Friday with special drink offers from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and food discounts from 3-6 p.m.

As for the drinks, drafts are $3 and wines and spirits are $4. Correspondingly, all five variations of fiesta tacos are $2, and

fiesta ceviche tostadas range from $2 to $3. La Fiesta burritos are also offered at $6.50 for a California and $7.50 for a surf ‘n’ turf, shrimp or fish.

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FEATURES

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

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Bub’s is an all-American food spot for cheap eats and drinks. KEVIN SERRANO, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Bub’s Dive Bar different types of handrolls in addition to This Pacific Beach bar prides itself on starters such as the edamame hummus good service and “non-bar like” food. Food with toasted pita bread for $5, the katsu specials are 4-7 p.m. Monday through chicken slider and fries for $3 and the Friday and 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Sundays. beef yakitori for $4. The cheapest drink From 4-7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays is a small hot sake for $2, and the most drafts are $3.50 and cocktails (with the expensive is the house wine for $5. option of liquor additives) are either $4 or $5, depending on the brand.

Banker’s Hill Bar & Restaurant The happy hour food menu consists of For a more upscale, modern experience Picnic Potato Chips ‘n’ Dip at the lowest on any weekday night, this downtown cost of $3, and grilled cheese sticks, Steakydining spot is one to consider. Regular Steakum Bites, chicken corn dogs, double happy hour lasts Monday through Friday whiskey barbecue beef sliders are $5. Bub’s from 4:30-6:30 p.m., and late night happy Good Time Flatties, $6 flatbread pizzas, hour lasts from 9:30-11 p.m. Some food come in three combos: options are offered Beach ‘N’ Margarita, during both, such whiskey barbecue as the $5 deviled Here are a few walletchicken and The farmers market friendly places to Southbound. eggs and truffled spend an hour or two french fries. eating, drinking and Sushi on the Rock The $5 house Sushi on the Rock wine and select being happy. is an Asian-fusion, drafts are also family-oriented available. There’s restaurant that can be a slightly larger found on La Jolla’s Prospect Street. Happy menu selection for the regular happy hour, hour lasts from 4-6:30 p.m., which is when including dishes such as the buttermilk special drinks, starters, sushi and handrolls fried chicken oysters and the roasted beet are available for special offers. There are and citrus salad with arugula, goat cheese four different types of sushi rolls and five and crustini.

Celebrate Movember!

Stache Bash!

Thursday, Movember 21st

Arm Wrestling. Stache Contest. Cheap Pints.

#StacheBash

#woodstockssd

6 Features

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

#BARGAINSANDDEALS

#BARGAINSANDDEALS

Local stores encourage exchange of clothes MELISSA ARTOBELLO

STAFF WRITER

As college students, we’re always looking for ways to make money. For the fashionably-inclined, most of us want to spend that money on new clothes.

There’s no better way than to switch out your old clothes for new ones than to sell your old clothes at local clothing exchange companies in San Diego.

Flashbacks, Buffalo Exchange and Cash Closet are all stores that pay cash or store credit for clothes that you don’t want anymore .

now.

“We look for vintage and retro clothing spanning from all decades,” Buyer Mark Allen said.

The style of clothing sold there is funky and old-school, making it the perfect place to go costume

shopping. Flashbacks buys designer items, current styles and vintage clothes that are in season.

“Vintage items in immaculate conditions get the most money,” Allen said.

Flashbacks gives either 35 percent of the clothings’ value in cash or 50 percent in trade. Flashbacks is available to buy at any time during open hours, seven days a week.

You must be 18 years or older, or be accompanied by an adult, with a valid form of ID in order to sell.

washes from straight leg, skinny, boyfriend, skinny boot and cords to quality dress pants sizes 7 and above.

They’re also looking for blouses, dresses and tee’s in fall colors and style. Lastly, they want fall style shoes, ankle boots, desert boots and lace up vans.

Buffalo Exchange currently has a program called Tokens for Bags where customers are encouraged to accept a token instead of a bag for their purchases. The tokens are worth five cents each and are donated to a charity of the customer’s choice. At the Hillcrest Buffalo Exchange, you can choose from three different charities to donate to. Passion for Pitties helps save pitbulls and find them homes, Dreams for Change help families in financial crisis and San Diego Coastkeeper help keep our water swimmable, fishable and drinkable.

From Nov. 29-Dec. 24, Buffalo Exchange is helping local charities through their coat and blankets drive.

You can donate these items at the store during business hours.

Cash Closet, located in Linda Vista Road, is a clothing exchange company for top name brand fashion where customers can save 60 to 90 percent off favorite designer brands.

It’s currently looking for seasonal items in brands such as Abercrombie, Billabong, Chanel, Coach, Ed Hardy, Express, Forever 21, Guess, Gucci, Hollister, Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, Pink, Ray Ban, Roxy, Steve Madden and True Religion. Cash Closet gives cash for high-end brand items and only gives store credit for brands such as Forever 21 and H&M. “We accept anything in decent shape. We prefer name brands, but it’s not necessary,” Cash Closet owner Tara Kern said.

The store only buys back on Wednesdays and Thursdays and no

appointment is needed. However, they are currently overstocked, so all purchases have been suspended until further notice.

Kern is keen on helping others in need, which is why for every item you buy, Cash Closet will give away an item to someone in need.

Items that Cash Closet doesn’t want to purchase, but the customer wants to get rid of, are donated to San Diego Home Start for single mothers in need of clothes. Kern is a single mother as well, which is why she dedicates her store to helping others.

“Everything I owned fit in the back of a pick up truck. I have crawled my way to being able to open this store. I want to be able to help others as well,” Kern said.

Currently, there’s a coupon in the San Diego Reader for a free item, no purchase necessary, so it’s the perfect time to stop by and look around.

At the beginning of every semester, college students everywhere burst into tears at the sight of their bank accounts quickly draining to dismally low amounts. It begins in the bookstore, where students crowd the aisles like sardines in a tin can, scanning the shelves for the best deals. More often than not, they’re forced to purchase the most expensive options, bringing their total at the register to hundreds of dollars.

When it’s time to stock up for everything needed for classes, the toughest decision to make is where to get the best bang for your buck. If the campus bookstore stretches your budget a little too thin, check out these alternatives that will satisfy your wallet.

If you like the idea of buying textbooks from your fellow classmates but don’t want to navigate questionable Craigslist postings, SDTexty is the perfect solution. This website, specifically created for San Diego State, allows for the buying, trading and selling of textbooks.

All you need to do is set up an account with the school Rohan email address found on your SDSU WebPortal. Students can search by book title, author name or by subject. ach listing describes which class the book is used for, resulting in hassle-free navigation of the site. At the end of the semester, post your textbooks on SDTexty instead of selling them back to the bookstore. This means more profit without having to settle for buyback chump change.

CONTINUED ON P8

DRY CLEANING gii cardd

HOLI D AY PRESENTS

MO

NTE

MONICA LINZMEIER, PHOTO EDITOR

ZUM

67th ST.

Right across the street from Flashbacks in Hillcrest is Buffalo Exchange, where 80 percent of their clothing and accessories is bought directly from local customers. Its inventory includes designer labels, vintage clothing, current styles and one-of-a-kind items for men and women. Their prices range depending on the label, condition, style and other factors but clothing items average around $15.

Buffalo Exchange is available to buy during operating hours and will give cash or trade on the spot. It pays 35 percent of what they price your clothing in cash or 50 percent in trade.

Buffalo Exchange is currently looking for holiday season clothing. For men, they’re looking for denim and pants, such as dark washes in a straight leg, cords and chinos. They also want men’s woolblend sweaters, basic tee’s and fall style shoes. For women, they’re buying basic denim in dark wash and medium

Vendors alleviate textbook financial woes VICTORIA VALENZUELA

STAFF WRITER

Flashbacks, located in Hillcrest and Encinitas, sells contemporary, vintage and designer clothes from the 1950s to

FEATURES 7

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

AR

D.

LVD.

JON B

Flashbacks 849 5th Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103 (619) 291-4200 Mon-Sat: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Sun: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Buffalo Exchange 3862 5th Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103 (619) 298-4411 Mon-Sat: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Sun: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Cash Closet 5251 Linda Vista Road, San Diego, CA 92110 (619) 356-3470 Mon-Sat: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Sun: 12 p.m.-6 p.m.

EL CA

Facebook.com/Hazard.Center

6 Features

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

#BARGAINSANDDEALS

#BARGAINSANDDEALS

Local stores encourage exchange of clothes MELISSA ARTOBELLO

STAFF WRITER

As college students, we’re always looking for ways to make money. For the fashionably-inclined, most of us want to spend that money on new clothes.

There’s no better way than to switch out your old clothes for new ones than to sell your old clothes at local clothing exchange companies in San Diego.

Flashbacks, Buffalo Exchange and Cash Closet are all stores that pay cash or store credit for clothes that you don’t want anymore .

now.

“We look for vintage and retro clothing spanning from all decades,” Buyer Mark Allen said.

The style of clothing sold there is funky and old-school, making it the perfect place to go costume

shopping. Flashbacks buys designer items, current styles and vintage clothes that are in season.

“Vintage items in immaculate conditions get the most money,” Allen said.

Flashbacks gives either 35 percent of the clothings’ value in cash or 50 percent in trade. Flashbacks is available to buy at any time during open hours, seven days a week.

You must be 18 years or older, or be accompanied by an adult, with a valid form of ID in order to sell.

washes from straight leg, skinny, boyfriend, skinny boot and cords to quality dress pants sizes 7 and above.

They’re also looking for blouses, dresses and tee’s in fall colors and style. Lastly, they want fall style shoes, ankle boots, desert boots and lace up vans.

Buffalo Exchange currently has a program called Tokens for Bags where customers are encouraged to accept a token instead of a bag for their purchases. The tokens are worth five cents each and are donated to a charity of the customer’s choice. At the Hillcrest Buffalo Exchange, you can choose from three different charities to donate to. Passion for Pitties helps save pitbulls and find them homes, Dreams for Change help families in financial crisis and San Diego Coastkeeper help keep our water swimmable, fishable and drinkable.

From Nov. 29-Dec. 24, Buffalo Exchange is helping local charities through their coat and blankets drive.

You can donate these items at the store during business hours.

Cash Closet, located in Linda Vista Road, is a clothing exchange company for top name brand fashion where customers can save 60 to 90 percent off favorite designer brands.

It’s currently looking for seasonal items in brands such as Abercrombie, Billabong, Chanel, Coach, Ed Hardy, Express, Forever 21, Guess, Gucci, Hollister, Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, Pink, Ray Ban, Roxy, Steve Madden and True Religion. Cash Closet gives cash for high-end brand items and only gives store credit for brands such as Forever 21 and H&M. “We accept anything in decent shape. We prefer name brands, but it’s not necessary,” Cash Closet owner Tara Kern said.

The store only buys back on Wednesdays and Thursdays and no

appointment is needed. However, they are currently overstocked, so all purchases have been suspended until further notice.

Kern is keen on helping others in need, which is why for every item you buy, Cash Closet will give away an item to someone in need.

Items that Cash Closet doesn’t want to purchase, but the customer wants to get rid of, are donated to San Diego Home Start for single mothers in need of clothes. Kern is a single mother as well, which is why she dedicates her store to helping others.

“Everything I owned fit in the back of a pick up truck. I have crawled my way to being able to open this store. I want to be able to help others as well,” Kern said.

Currently, there’s a coupon in the San Diego Reader for a free item, no purchase necessary, so it’s the perfect time to stop by and look around.

At the beginning of every semester, college students everywhere burst into tears at the sight of their bank accounts quickly draining to dismally low amounts. It begins in the bookstore, where students crowd the aisles like sardines in a tin can, scanning the shelves for the best deals. More often than not, they’re forced to purchase the most expensive options, bringing their total at the register to hundreds of dollars.

When it’s time to stock up for everything needed for classes, the toughest decision to make is where to get the best bang for your buck. If the campus bookstore stretches your budget a little too thin, check out these alternatives that will satisfy your wallet.

If you like the idea of buying textbooks from your fellow classmates but don’t want to navigate questionable Craigslist postings, SDTexty is the perfect solution. This website, specifically created for San Diego State, allows for the buying, trading and selling of textbooks.

All you need to do is set up an account with the school Rohan email address found on your SDSU WebPortal. Students can search by book title, author name or by subject. ach listing describes which class the book is used for, resulting in hassle-free navigation of the site. At the end of the semester, post your textbooks on SDTexty instead of selling them back to the bookstore. This means more profit without having to settle for buyback chump change.

CONTINUED ON P8

DRY CLEANING gii cardd

HOLI D AY PRESENTS

MO

NTE

MONICA LINZMEIER, PHOTO EDITOR

ZUM

67th ST.

Right across the street from Flashbacks in Hillcrest is Buffalo Exchange, where 80 percent of their clothing and accessories is bought directly from local customers. Its inventory includes designer labels, vintage clothing, current styles and one-of-a-kind items for men and women. Their prices range depending on the label, condition, style and other factors but clothing items average around $15.

Buffalo Exchange is available to buy during operating hours and will give cash or trade on the spot. It pays 35 percent of what they price your clothing in cash or 50 percent in trade.

Buffalo Exchange is currently looking for holiday season clothing. For men, they’re looking for denim and pants, such as dark washes in a straight leg, cords and chinos. They also want men’s woolblend sweaters, basic tee’s and fall style shoes. For women, they’re buying basic denim in dark wash and medium

Vendors alleviate textbook financial woes VICTORIA VALENZUELA

STAFF WRITER

Flashbacks, located in Hillcrest and Encinitas, sells contemporary, vintage and designer clothes from the 1950s to

FEATURES 7

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

AR

D.

LVD.

JON B

Flashbacks 849 5th Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103 (619) 291-4200 Mon-Sat: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Sun: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Buffalo Exchange 3862 5th Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103 (619) 298-4411 Mon-Sat: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Sun: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Cash Closet 5251 Linda Vista Road, San Diego, CA 92110 (619) 356-3470 Mon-Sat: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Sun: 12 p.m.-6 p.m.

EL CA

Facebook.com/Hazard.Center

8 Features

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

CONTINUED FROM P7

Just a hop, skip and a jump away from campus on College Avenue sits a mecca of great textbook deals.

Before you take a look inside the store, use its website to compare prices on textbooks from any specific department and class. Students can also weigh KB Books’ rates against other online textbook providers. KB Books provides even more savings with its Student Organization Rebate Program. Members of participating student organizations from SDSU, San Diego Mesa College and San Diego City College are given a 5 percent rebate on textbook purchases through the program.

A

A top textbook rental provider, Chegg has great deals with a 21-day satisfaction guarantee. Be sure to save that bright orange box that your books come in, as it can be used to ship your items back for free using a printable UPS label. E-textbooks are also available for rent, with various rental term options. Chegg also flexes its green thumbs as a part of its popular business model by planting a tree for every book that is rented or sold. To date, the number of planted trees has reached more than five million. What could be better than saving a bucket of cash and helping the environment at the same time?

No matter what method you choose, remember the three cardinal rules of purchasing textbooks: Rent, Reuse and Recycle. First, rent the book instead

of buying it—this eliminates having to try and sell it back at the end of the semester. Second, if you must buy the book, buy it used. Try to scope out the

This popular website claims to save students 80 percent on textbooks with free shipping both ways.

While it’s a common practice to retain the pristine condition of rental books, CampusBookRentals permits marking and highlighting of books as if they were your own. As if the deal couldn’t get any sweeter, if the rental periods don’t exactly allow for the amount of time you need, you’re able to select your own return date. When you’re done, simply drop your books in the mail using the provided prepaid envelope and label. Can’t get to the mail in time? No problem. You’re covered by a 15-day grace period for returning your book.

This website takes the cake, promising savings to 90 percent on textbooks that it says will save students $500 a year. A service that’s a one-stop shop for all textbook needs, ValoreBooks provides price comparisons across countless sites on the Web. Free shipping is included with rentals. Selling books back couldn’t be easier—the site gives a dollar amount for how much it will buy a particular item. ValoreBooks makes the buyback process even more profitable by partnering with SmarterBucks, a rewards program that helps cut student loan debt by offering students rewards through online purchases. Signing up for a free account starts students off with $5 in SmarterBucks, getting them on the right track to paying less money in loans after graduation. up

used books early, as those are usually the first to go since they are typically the cheapest. Third, swap books from people in your classes or major. You

might be able to get away with not spending any money in the first place.

After all, no word sounds sweeter to a college student’s ears than “free.”

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ENTERTAINMENT

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

#BELLYUP

9

Come on down to Belly Up Tavern DAVID DIXON

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR The Belly Up Tavern has been entertaining San Diegans for years with acts that range from famous music stars to rising talents.

It’s more than a bar or a concert venue.

It’s a place where you can hang out, eat, drink and be merry. The Aztec was lucky enough to interview Meryl Klemow, who is responsible for show promotion and marketing at the immensely popular 21-and-older spot.

The Aztec: Can you tell me a little bit about the history of Belly Up? Meryl Klemow: It opened up in 1974 and originally was in a Quonset Hut. The venue was named the Belly Up because at the time the owner, Dave Hodges’ friend, jokingly said, “Don’t do that, your bar is going to go belly up.” Dave thought it was so funny, that he decided that would be the name of the bar.

It’s been almost 40 years of great business.

Fortunately, it’s been a really steady and successful business since it opened. Hodges still “owns” part of the street, South Cedros Avenue. He set the tone for how the club would be. The owners now, Steve Goldberg

and Phil Berkovitz, have kept that same vibe and have added onto it.

clear that the show was going to sell out.

TA: Does your audience influence your selection of musicians or vice versa?

MK: Both. We’ve been taking more risks in the past two to three years because our

TA: The Belly Up seems to be run a little looser than other concert venues. Do you think Belly Up has a reputation for being a laid-back environment?

MK: Yes and no. Behind the scenes,

audience has shown that they support when we make unconditional choices. For example, country music doesn’t play often, but we had Willie Nelson perform. We didn’t understand the impact of how much a place like Solana Beach is dying to see him.

We booked some of these bands at first and our audience responded by making it

definitely not. We put a lot of thoughts on ads and have meetings on Thursdays on the dot to schedule bands. Some of our acts, such as DJ Z-Trip, don’t have an opening act begin until an hour after showtime.

However, others such as B.B. King, won’t show up more than 1 minute late.

We’re loose in the sense that there isn’t a radio-festival feel where tons of people run

to the stage, and we try to be mellow with our customers as well.

TA: What do you consider to be a success: The largest amount of attendees or a group that puts on a phenomenal show even though there aren’t many fans present?

MK: On a larger scale, what we consider to be a success is a full year of shows.

It is impressive when artists such as Snoop Dogg, Wynonna Judd and The Joy Formidable all perform in the same year. On a day-to-day basis, a successful night would be if we both make money and if everyone at Belly Up had a good time. Money’s not everything and we’ve turned down bands that we don’t believe in, even though their concert could have been a big success.

TA: How can bands be booked for Belly Up? MK: Make sure you have a great, solid, North County fanbase. We have a lot of people that are successful in San Diego, but unfortunately many of their fans can’t make it on weekdays and attendance becomes low. The band can then tell us where they played in the past and share a video of them performing.

During its next regular meeting Monday, Dec. 2, 2013 at 4:00pm the Associated Students Board of Directors will vote on some important

BYLAW AMENDMENTS. Copies of the proposed changes are available to interested individuals upon request from Open Air Theatre Information Booth, A.S. Business Office at Aztec Mesa, Room 110 or the A.S. Government Affairs Office at the PPG Alumni Center, Suite 230.

Comments regarding the proposed changes are welcomed in advance.

Meeting location can be found at as.sdsu.edu/govt.

619-594-6555 as.sdsu.edu

10 ENTERTAINMENT

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

#THELARAMIEPROJECT

‘The Laramie Project’ provides an emotional experience BRITTNEY PICKEI STAFF WRITER

COURTESY OF THEATRE.SDSU.EDU

Treating others with respect no matter how different they are is a quality that many strive for. However, there are plenty of people who treat certain men and women with intolerance. Through a moving and touching production, “The Laramie Project,” directed by C.J. Keith, is a play that reminds people of the importance of freedom of expression and human rights.

Playing at the Don Powell Theatre on campus, the show explores the murder of a young college student named Matthew Shepard, who was tied up, severely beaten and left to die for being gay. The tragedy is shown in a documentary fashion. It begins with a series of interviews involving friends of Matthew, the police who were involved and regular citizens of Laramie, Wyo. Throughout, the actors rapidly alter in and out of the real-life characters they portray, which adds to the diversity and entertainment

of the journey. “The Laramie Project” combines humor with intensity during the individual testimonies, and in a swift transition, the audience will find that in one moment they are laughing and the next shedding tears.

The dialogue captures the reactions of people in Laramie. and demonstrates the emotional impact of the crime and how many lives were changed forever. In particular, Aaron Kreifels (Xavier Scott) took on a heavy role of being the first to find the unconscious body of Matthew.

Throughout, Kreifels contemplates why God chose him to find the body, but then comes to the realization that his role was crucial in attempting to save Matthew’s life. The citizens of the small town of Laramie were in shock to find that their town possessed such hatred. Because of the fact that each of the characters had a different view on homosexuality, everybody in the show was affected by the crime in a unique way.

An abundance of props and accessories were not needed, thanks to

the high-quality acting and the script itself. The lack of decorations and fixtures helped viewers perceive the message. One of the scenes to highlight in the play is when Romaine Patterson (Melissa Alvarez) gives a speech stating how Matthew motivated her to pursue a career in politics. In the following sequence, Romaine and her friends dress as angels, going against the leader of the Westboro Baptist Church, Rev. Fred Phelps (Michael Italiano), was protested outside the courthouse. The angels used their wings to block Fred’s view. This segment was truly full of passion and faith.

“The Laramie Project” closes with a gut-wrenching climax, in which Aaron McKinney (Matthew Gibson), one of the people accused for the murder, is tried for the death penalty. The dialogue in the scene becomes intense and is filled with emotion.

“The Laramie Project” is definitely a must see and is a fantastic way to close this semester of drama.

ENTERTAINMENT

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

#MITZIMICHAELS

11

It’s been a BIG YEAR for SDSU alumna

MITZIMICHAELS ISABELLA PLACE

motivated, unlike when you’re going for an undergraduate degree, these two years are your opportunity to really polish your skills. I hope the program continues to get more spotlight on it because it is so unique and there are no other programs out there like it. People who really want to teach theatre in college look at SDSU’s program and realize how special it is.

STAFF WRITER

After seeing a splendidly distinctive version of Stephen Sondheim’s sungthrough musical “Marry Me a Little” at the Diversionary Theatre, The Aztec had the pleasure of interviewing San Diego State alumna Mitzi Michaels. Michaels and Sarah Errington starred as lesbian women living in a Brooklyn apartment building. They sang deleted songs from shows such as “A Little Night Music,” “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” and “Company.”

The Aztec: How was your first stage experience performing at the Diversionary Theatre?

Mitzi Michaels: Very special, just because of the nature of this show and who I got to work with, it’s really been fabulous and very welcoming. Everyone is so kind and so supportive. James Vasquez, our director, has really been a dream to work with, especially for his vision in this show.

TA: Are you planning to perform at the Diversionary Theatre again in the future?

MM: I would love to. Truly, it’s so nice for an intimate setting like this in this type of theatre.

TA: You’ve also played other memorable roles recently.

Describe your recent participation as Lady of the Lake in “Monty Python’s Spamalot” at the Welk Theatre.

MM: That was a dream come true. That was really a dream role of mine and to realize that actually happened, I’ve been so lucky this year to be really welcomed by the San Diego theatre community. I

help wanted Aide wanted by professional disabled woman.

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SDSU alumna Mitzi Michaels (right) has starred in several shows this year. COURTESY OF KEN JACQUES

feel blessed I’m making my life and my home here after graduating. There’s such a vibrant theatre community and as a newbie in San Diego, it’s such a special feeling to be so embraced. Specifically by this town because there’s so much heartfelt work being done.

TA: Tell us about how going to SDSU for your master’s degree in musical theater prepared you for shows like these.

MM: During those two years we did intimate shows in the small space (SDSU’s Experimental Theatre) and in the Don Powell Theatre and I think that definitely helped me be really flexible as an actor.

TA: What advice do you have for anyone pursuing a master’s degree in theatre at SDSU? MM: It’s a hard two years; it’s a lot of work and you have to be committed.

You have to be a self-starter and really

TA: And that degree led you to a wonderful teaching opportunity here in town.

MM: Yes, this is my second semester teaching at the University of San Diego and that is really why I went to SDSU and specifically for their master’s program because it’s all about preparing you to teach. And it was such a dream of mine for so long, and the program at SDSU is so special and so unique, the only one of its kind that really gears students to prepare themselves to teach in a collegiate setting.

In my two years there, I really got a lot of time to hone my skills and teach undergraduates at (SDSU) as a grad student, and that alone really gave me an edge and go in there and show that I was qualified and ready because I’d had training. I also teach at San Diego Junior Theatre and North Coast (Repertory Theatre). My summers are filled with little kiddies in summer camps, which is great, and during the rest of the year, I’m at USD, which is awesome. I really love it.

Just teaching theatre, that’s all I want to do. And I really appreciate this kind of alumni spotlight because I am here in San Diego, whereas a lot of my classmates went on to live in other places, which is amazing, but to still be here, I am very proud to have worked for that M.F.A., and when I got this call about this interview, it felt really nice to get acknowledged like that.

12 THE BACK PAGE

thursDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

#fiction

Memory of a crash landing

C

hris stood in the middle of the street. His neck began to ache, but he kept a close watch of the night sky above him. It was cold and everything seemed to crack under the pressure of a forgotten season. Winter had come as a surprise, and the dangling freshness of green leaves quickly turned into a dreary gray with nude trees.

July 20, 1969. The date ran through Chris’ mind as he noticed a faint ball of light moving through the frozen stars. He wasn’t born yet on that day, but he’d heard plenty of stories from his family members.

“I’d never felt so inspired as when I saw Apollo 11 shoot past the last cloud I could spot,” Grandpa Jorge told him one day while watching Saturday morning cartoons. “You could feel the happiness flow through the country like a strong wind, and later, nothing seemed more beautiful than the first steps taken on the moon.”

Chris tried to live through the stories he heard. He’d close his eyes and try to picture looking at a blue sky with a silver dot that carried more importance than anything else up there. He pictured sitting on a soft carpet, like his mother did one day, looking at an ancient TV and hearing the countdown to a future of vast possibilities.

He turned toward the moon. It was full and looked so close there seemed to be a faint possibility of climbing the tallest building in the country and touching it with your fingers. Chris pictured his hands grazing the bumpy texture and the soft gray sand attaching itself to his skin. It sent a gratifying feeling, like an electrical charge, through his body. Then he thought

christian benavides staff writer

of Neil Armstrong’s footsteps, forever marked onto the moon and in history. The footsteps were always the thing that people thought about when hearing Apollo 11 or his name, as if they were also taken on the minds of people.

Suddenly, Chris’ body jerked and a memory crashed into the barriers of his mind. It was a memory that occasionally appeared when his dreams flew too high and crash landed from a realization of its unattainability.

July 20, 2010. The date pounded through his whole body. He pushed his eyelids together, clenched his fists and held himself tight, but it got into his head either way.

It was a hot Tuesday and school was out. Chris remembered he’d spent the whole morning playing video games in his room, waiting for the sun to set and for the day to cool down. Looking back, Chris remembered feeling a bit anxious; he’d constantly rolled around his bed, fidgeted with the controller, and continually rearranged his bed. Then the memory fastforwarded to late afternoon. Both of his parents were home, which meant he could go out. Chris and his friends had planned a trip to the community pool, and they all gathered at the corner of Chris’ street and speed walked there. It took them about 30 minutes and they had all worked up a sweat.

Chris shivered as the memory made its way toward the end.

After a couple hours, they’d decided it was time to go. The sun was already

words

66 Many AARP The Magazine readers: Abbr.

hidden behind the mountains in the horizon and there was only a small tint of orange left in the sky. Because it had gotten so late, one of Chris’ friends called his brother to pick them up. The brother had just gotten his driver’s license and was almost too willing to drive.

It was when they had begun to make their way through an intersection that a burst of screaming cut through Chris, turning his eyes toward the truck that came rampantly past its stop sign, heading toward the side he sat on. The rest comes in fragments. He faintly remembers his friend pulling him by the arm, away from the window, and then a heavy blanket of black falling over him. And finally, hearing his parents cry, something that continues to squeeze his stomach and fill him with nausea.

Soon the memory left him, and Chris slowly let go of his body. Everything ached except his lower half, which made his nausea turn into complete and utter anger. He slammed the arm rests on his sides and a deep howl pushed out of his throat and dissipated into the night air.

He started crying from desperation as he remembered Ray Bradbury’s poem, “If Only We Had Taller Been.”

“It was a place half in the sky where, in the green of leaf and the promising of peach, we’d reach our hand to touch, and almost touch the sky. If we could reach and touch, we said, it would teach us not to, never to, be dead.”

Chris repeated the lines in his head and finally wiping his tears, gave the sky one last look. Then releasing the break on his wheelchair, made his way back into the house.

numbers

DOWN

Across

1 Moll’s leg 4 Word after fire or power 9 Like some wedding dresses 13 Biblical priest who trained Samuel 14 Zellweger et al.

16 Together, in music 17 Architect’s add-on 18 *Make it not hurt so much 20 Tre times due 21 Bark relative 22 IHOP array 23 *Marching order 26 Type of cranial nerve 28 Role for John Cho in “Star Trek” 29 Jets and others 31 __ nutshell 32 Mex. neighbor 34 Motor extension?

35 At any time 36 *Has unfinished business with the IRS 40 Spot on the tube 41 Good buddy 42 Play about Capote 43 Ran across 44 Film critic Jeffrey 46 Long haul 49 __ de Chine: light fabric 51 *Entice with 54 Eggheads 56 Govt. surveillance group 57 PTA meeting site 58 *Sagacious 60 __ out: barely make 61 Aleutian island 62 Faunae counterparts 63 Grassy area 64 Harness part 65 Yeats’ “The Wild __ at Coole”

1 Silly sorts 2 Strike zones?

3 Social setting 4 Mr. Holland portrayer 5 Put on again 6 Hip joint 7 Author Harper 8 Conversation opener 9 Drink à la Fido 10 Capable of change 11 Cookbook categories 12 Nikkei Index currency 15 Lacking the required funds 19 Winged god 24 Turned around 25 Opponents of the ‘60s-’70s New Left 27 Golf, for one 30 Simpsons creator Groening 33 “Eight Is Enough” wife 35 Bedroom community 36 Orthodontic concern 37 Ride the wake, say 38 Awakenings 39 Some auction transactions 40 “Movies for movie lovers” network 44 “Aren’t you a little short for a Stormtrooper?” speaker 45 Isabel Allende title 47 Stands for things 48 Any of the top 25 NFL career scoring leaders 50 Song of praise 52 Egyptian dam 53 MLB team, familiarly (and what’s missing from the sequence found in the answers to starred clues?)

55 Bad check letters 58 Card game for two, usually 59 “What are you waiting for?!”

HOW TO PLAY: Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box contains every digit 1 to 9.

Difficulty Level:

4/4

ALL SOLUTIONS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT WWW.THEDAILYAZTEC.COM or IN OUR NEXT ISSUE’S CLASSIFIEDS CROSSWORDS, SUDOKU, AND HOROSCOPES COURTESY OF TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC., ©2013.

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thefuture

Today’s Birthday (11/21/13) - Creative fun recurs as a theme this year. Align your work with your passions for professional thriving. Partnerships (both at work and home) grow in this light. Your muses especially produce in autumn and again in spring. Express your inspiration, and share or launch next summer. Balance with time for yourself, especially after October. You’re in demand.

HOW IT WORKS: 10 is good, 1 is bad.

Aries (March 21 - April 19) - Today is a 7 - There’s plenty to do at home. A little bit of cleaning and organizing benefits you in the long run. Deliver your message ... tweet or post to your heart’s desire. Add your own clever touches. You have what’s needed.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20) - Today is an 8 - Less structure may mean more creative results. Don’t push within the group. Agree to disagree. You have no trouble getting your message across. Get the invitations sent. Don’t gamble. It’s not time to go, yet.

Gemini (May 21 - June 21) - Today is a 9 - Your intuition helps with unstable conditions. Finish household chores. Arrive early to avoid stress. Devise a strong sales pitch. Listen attentively. Good news arrives from far away. Go ahead and get crazy excited.

Cancer (June 22 - July 22) - Today is a 9 - You’re up to big things and can’t do all of them alone. Get the family to help and gain more than you thought possible in areas you weren’t even considering. Work interferes with travel. Talk about what’s going on.

Leo (July 23 - Aug. 22) - Today is a 7 - Disagreement requires compromise.

But wait ... don’t make promises you can’t keep. This one’s tough. You’re in charge. Your partner comes up with a good idea, financial or otherwise. Work it out.

Communication is the key.

Virgo (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) - Today is an 8 - Do your homework at home or with friends. Romance may be difficult, but not impossible, especially if you use the right words. Don’t be intimidated. Reveal your true feelings. Go with “authentic fool” and take pride.

Libra (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) - Today is an 8 - Technical difficulties spur you to identify and surpass a major barrier. Add passion to your work (and to your romance). Gentle persuasion works better. Get creative in your attire. Your status rises.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) - Today is a 9 - A surprise doesn’t necessarily have to be unpleasant. It’s all in how you look at it. You may even discover a treasure that’s hidden at first. Keep track of the money coming in. Intuition requires verification.

Study the stats.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) - Today is an 8 - A group extends an invitation. Clear up confusion before proceeding. Costs may be higher than expected. Get another perspective, possibly from a friend who knows you well.

Consider the big picture impact.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) Today is a 9 - Temporary confusion or disruption could throw you off your game.

Don’t get lost in the day-to-day static. You have bigger and better fish to fry. Offer advice only if asked. Hold out for the best deal.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) - Today is a 9 - Hone your powers of persuasion at work. But beware ... jealousies could erupt.

Pay back a debt, quietly. Unexpected news helps you in figuring out how to go farther.

Suddenly you achieve results.

Pisces (Feb. 19 - March 20) - Today is an 8 - What you edit out is just as important in telling the story as what you leave in.

Being non-judgmental makes a difference in your and their life. Your innocence is very charming, too.