Monday, Nov. 25 - Tuesday, Dec 3, 2019 Weekly Print Edition
Vol. 106, Issue 16 www.thedailyaztec.com
San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913
Whistleblower alerts US government about SDSU bunk bed safety by Katelynn STAFF WRITER
Photo courtesy of Voice of America
Police equipped with riot shields stand guard amid protests against Ecuador’s government and President Lenín Moreno.
Ecuador protests send SDSU students home by Jadyn Brandt STAFF WRITER
Recent protests in Ecuador have affected San Diego State students’ study abroad experiences this semester. It is the second instance of unrest in a South American country that has impacted the university study abroad programs. Earlier this semester, deadly protests in Santiago, Chile, affected international business students studying in the Chilean capital. Now, students studying abroad in Ecuador may be facing the same fate. The protests, largely in the capital city of Quito, came in response to President Lenín Moreno’s decision to cut fuel subsidies that caused the price of fuel to skyrocket, according to the New York Times. For SDSU students who chose to spend a semester at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, the protests began about halfway through their semester.
International business senior Frank Feeney was one such student. He decided to return to San Diego early and finish his courses online. He said students were given the option to return home, but that he was not required to leave Ecuador. “It was a situation where they didn’t mandate (returning home),” Feeney said. “I think if (the protests) had gone any further, then they probably would have.” SDSU International Business Program Director John Putman said students were not required to return home because the situation had not escalated to a point where mandatory evacuation was necessary. “Part of that was the State Department did not declare mandatory evacuation nor did the California State University System,” Putman said. “Ultimately, we let the students decide if they want to come home if they feel unsafe for any reason.” Although the protests took
place in the same city as the university, Feeney said himself and other students were not directly impacted. However, Feeney said curfews and mandatory student checkins were required by both the government and the university. “Not only were there curfews set by the government, but the university also set some stricter curfews just to make sure we were safe,” Feeney said. “When it got really bad, they would ask us to check-in, say where we were and that we were safe.” Feeney said he also experienced some issues with transportation both nationally and internationally because of the protests. “The one thing that did impact me was, because of the second wave of protests, I was on my way to Peru and I had to sleep in the airport overnight,” Feeney said. “They had roadblocks set up and what’s called a ‘toque de SEE ECUADOR, PAGE 2
Robinson
Following the recent death of a San Diego State student who fell off his bunk bed, an anonymous SDSU parent and alumnus has lodged a complaint with the U.S. government alleging the residence hall bunk beds are unsafe, NBC 7 reports. The San Diego County Medical Examiner ruled Dylan Hernandez’s death was caused by blunt force trauma to the head after he fell off the top of his bunk bed earlier this month, resulting in his death. SDSU’s Office of Housing Administration said in an email response that the bunk beds meet all necessary state requirements. “All lofted beds and bunk beds located within San Diego State University residence halls are produced by national manufacturers and meet California State Fire Marshal requirements,” the email reads. “Rails are installed on the top
of all lofted beds and bunks beds in all SDSU on-campus housing.” According to the Legal Information Institute website and “A Guide to United States Furniture Compliance Requirements,” California safety standards require that all adult bunk beds have two guard rails, one on each side of the bed. These guardrails should be “no less than 5 inches (130 mm) above the top surface of the mattress when a mattress of the maximum thickness specified by the bed manufacturer’s instructions is on the bed.” The complaint states concerns surrounding the recent placement of bunk beds in the residence hall due to the newly implemented Sophomore success program, according to a version of the complaint published by NBC 7. The complaint also said cramming three to four adults into a small living space is unsafe, especially with allegedly illegal bunk beds.
Dylan Hernandez lived on the sixth floor of Tenochca residence hall.
Video screenshot by Jack Molmud
Former PSFA departments find permanent home in Adams by Daniel Guerrero SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Displaced departments from the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts will not return to the PSFA building. The School of Journalism and Media Studies, Public Affairs and Tourism and Hospitality were relocated during the spring 2019 semester after dangerous fumes from a botched roof repair to the PSFA building resulted in people getting sick. The three departments are currently located in Adams Humanities. Five additional
buildings were provided at the beginning of the fall 2019 semester to better accommodate the displaced schools. After a meeting between school officials and faculty from the three displaced schools, it was announced that none of the displaced schools would return to the PSFA building. Associate Vice President for Academic Affair Radmila Prislin confirmed the schools won’t be returning to the PSFA building in an email statement. “Following in-person conversations with university leadership, faculty members in the Schools of Journalism and
Media Studies, Public Affairs and the L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism Management have opted not to return to the PSFA Building,” Prislin said. “Those faculty will remain in Adams Humanities indefinitely.” Public Affairs director Sherry Ryan said the School of Public Affairs was one of the first departments to make it clear they weren’t going back to the PSFA building. “None of the schools that were previously located there are moving back,” Ryan said. “Our school was the first to say we refused to go back.”
Journalism and Media Studies Interim Director Noah Arceneaux confirmed in an email the JMS faculty came to decision to remain in Adams Humanities rather than move back to PSFA. “Since relocating to Adams Humanities, the faculty collectively decided to remain in this building and establish it as our new home,” Arceanaux said. Tourism and Hospitality Management director Carl Winston did not state if his department was returning to the PSFA building. He did say faculty in his
department are content with their current location at Adams Humanities. Winston also said the relocation to Adams Humanities was difficult, but his department, which had been located inside PSFA for 18 years, has been able to make the most out of their situation. “It was a little disconcerting because we had been there for 18 years,” Winston said. “We just made the best of it, but it was definitely disconcerting at the time. We just packed up SEE ADAMS HUMANITIES, PAGE 3