Volume 62 Issue 4

On newsstands weekly

Volume 62 Issue 4

Thursday, October 10, 2024

THE USD VISTA VISTA

The Official Student Newspaper of the University of San Diego since 1968

EMMA PIRHALA NEWS EDITOR The state of California recently banned the use of legacy and donor status as a factor in admissions. The bill, known legally as AB 1780, was signed into law on Sept. 30 and prohibits preferential treatment toward applicants due to legacy status and donations at private, nonprofit universities. To ensure the law is enforced, private universities will be obligated to submit an annual admissions report detailing their compliance.

However, there is some uncertainty by legal scholars as to how strongly the law will be enforced.

USD first-year Estefania Valencia shared her view on the new law.

“I think when you stop benefiting applicants whose parents went to the same school then it will make college admissions more equitable,” Valencia stated.

In a press release, creator of the bill, Assemblymember Phil Ting of San Francisco explained the significance of the law.

“If we value diversity in higher education, we must level the playing field,” Ting explained.

“That means making the college application process more fair and equitable. Hard work, good grades

The new ban will have no impact on USD, since the University hasn’t utilized legacy admissions since 2020.

Photo courtesy of Alissa Abramovich

Triumph at tennis championships

Tarvet and Klaassen achieve All-American status PRIYA COOPER SPORTS EDITOR San Diego men’s tennis swept the Intercollegiate Tennis Association ( ITA) AllAmerican Championships singles and doubles titles on Sunday, Sept. 29. With their victory, Oliver Tarvet and Stian Klaassen became the first male USD student-athletes to clinch All-American status this year.

The victory marks the first time a Torero has ever won a title at this event. USD junior and No. 3 ranked college tennis player in the country, Oliver Tarvet, became the fifth player to ever win both the singles and doubles titles at the season’s first major national tournament.

Tarvet is also the first Torero to accomplish this feat since 2015.

Tarvet talked about the significance of being able to claim this title as a junior and what the accomplishment means to him.

“Winning a national championship was always my dream when I came to college, and to do it in singles and doubles was something I never imagined,”

and a well-rounded background should earn you a spot in the incoming class – not the size of the check your family can write.

Legacy students, or “legacies,” are students or applicants whose family members have attended the same institution.

The practice of preferential legacy admissions has been criticized heavily for years, with many universities abandoning their use.

The ban follows the 2023 Supreme Court case, Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. (SFFA) v.

President & Fellows of Harvard College (Harvard) and SFFA v.

University of North Carolina (UNC), which ended the use of affirmative action in college admissions. The ruling sought to promote holistic admissions for applicants of all backgrounds.

At USD, the new law will have little to no impact on admissions operations. USD Associate Vice President of Enrollment Stephen Pultz provided insight into the University’s admissions process in the wake of legislative change.

“For USD, this won’t really have an impact at all,” Pultz said. “We have not considered the legacy status of a student for several years. In fact, we have been building a more equitable admissions process for a while.

Not only don’t we consider legacy status, but we moved

See Admissions, Page 3

INSIDE Hurricane Helene See News, page 2

Kenny G at USD See A&C, page 4

Farmers markets See Feature, page 8

Campus safety See Opinion, page 9 USD tennis players Tarvet and Klaasen showing their joy on the court.

Tarvet said. “It makes it even more special that I received AllAmerican status for the wins, and that’s something that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

The tennis star is from St.

Photo courtesy of @usd_tennis/Instagram

Albans, England and started the morning with an effortless walkover title after Sebastian Gorzny of Texas Christian University (TCU) retired from the final due to injury. Tarvet

Don’t miss the latest news. Find us online:

@USDVista

advanced from the semifinal to the final on a walkover as well after TCU’s Pedro Vives withdrew from the semifinal due to injury.

Tarvet defeated many ranked

See Tennis, Page 11

@theusdvista

theusdvista.com

Padres in the playoffs See Sports, page 12

2

The USD Vista

•

October 10, 2024

NEWS

Hurricane Helene hits East Coast High winds and flooding cause destruction in Appalachia

MAE O’MALLEY ASST. NEWS EDITOR Hurricane Helene has devastated many parts of the East Coast since touching down in Florida on Sept. 26 as a category 4 hurricane. The hurricane, which has become one of the deadliest mainland hurricanes in modern forecasting history, struck the coast from Florida to North Carolina and many northeastern states are still feeling the effects.

With 140 mile an hour winds, Hurricane Helene touched down with force in Florida. Some small neighborhoods were completely demolished and disappeared as a result of the storm. On Oct. 6, it was announced by the New York Times that there had now been 234 deaths in six southeastern states.

The storm made its way from the Gulf Coast of Florida, through Georgia and the Blue Ridge Mountains up to North Carolina, leaving behind mass destruction.

Many of these deaths were the result of intense flooding in Western North Carolina, where more than 20 to 30 inches of rainfall fell within three days.

In North Carolina, road closures caused by mudslides, fallen trees and other debris left towns isolated from the rest of the state. Residents of North Carolina were given orders to stay in place and stay away from windows, rather than being told to evacuate immediately. In the Blue Ridge Mountains, around 700,000 people are without power.

Many communities are focused on how they will be able to rebuild after the devastation.

Appalachian North Carolina was deeply affected by flash floods, causing a need to fund for infrastructure. Facing the need to rebuild their communities, people are banding together to provide support for each other in towns such as Asheville, North Carolina. Residents are helping each other find food and water for sustenance, as well as evacuating if necessary.

Tourists used to flock to Chimney Rock, North Carolina to climb mountains for the views and shop in the town. Now, the town is virtually empty, as it has been almost wiped out

by Hurricane Helene. As far as the eye can see, the town is

Many Appalachian towns fell victim to flooding and torrential downpours.

Photo courtesy of @americanredcross/X

High winds in coastal communities destroy homes and businesses.

Photo courtesy of @americanredcross/X

filled with debris in floodwaters including a child’s pair of Crocs, pillows, and laundry detergent.

Rescue crews were sent to the town, helping remove residents trapped in their homes. Residents were unable to communicate with their families to assure them they were safe, and nearby towns did not even know of the destruction.

Now, residents of Chimney Rock are left wondering if it will even be possible to rebuild the town.

Annie Jackson, a sophomore at USD, has family in Kittrell, a suburb of Raleigh in North Carolina. Her grandparents faced severe damage to their home and were forced to evacuate.

“My grandparents’ basement

The USD Vista Jackie Marquez - Editor-in-Chief

Hailey Howell - Feature Editor

Lauren Ceballos - Associate Editor

Ellie Skjersaa - Arts & Culture Editor

Lily Anderson - Managing Editor

Priya Cooper - Sports Editor

Lara Dominique Solante - Copy Editor

Samantha Pearson - Distribution Manager

Khushi Patel - Art Director

Megan Simpson - Social Media Manager

Emma Pirhala - News Editor

Shannen Swars - Photo Editor

Zoe Rogers - Opinion Editor

Anna Hallock - Director of Finance

and backyard were completely flooded,” Jackson said. “They sheltered in place in their basement until they were forced to evacuate and they went up to New York to stay with other family members, but I was really worried that they were okay.

Luckily, my dad was able to fly out and help them get situated but I don’t think they’ll be back in North Carolina for a few months.”

Intense hurricanes in the past, such as Hurricane Katrina, created mass destruction in the New Orleans area, due to the breach of many dams and floodwalls that prevent flooding in cities and residential communities.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has sent over one thousand medical and emergency personnel, as well as food and liters of water to areas affected by Helene Some remote communities within mountainous regions have been difficult to reach. FEMA receives its funding from Congress, and only for specific duties.

Many Republican politicians, including former President Donald Trump, called out the Biden administration for neglecting to send relief and aid to Republican congressional districts. However, Republican governors of South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia

Editorial – 619.260.4584 Business – 619.260.4714 www.theusdvista.com/ @TheUSDVista Quinn Hallinan - Advertising Manager Gina Lew - Student Media Advisor Marie Minnick - Operations Advisor

have given their appreciation towards the current presidential administration for the aid in this natural disaster.

In addition to aid from FEMA, over 6,000 National Guard members have also been sent to regions of North Carolina for relief operations.

The lengths of this disaster have made it difficult for some to receive aid, however practices have been enacted. Dozens of charity funds and GoFundMes have been put in place for those who wish to support the victims of this hurricane.

Leah Nash, a USD first-year, recently learned of the events unfolding in the southeast. Like some students, Nash struggled to understand how hurricanes can be so detrimental to communities.

“I didn’t even really know the severity of the storm,” Nash said.

“We don’t have hurricanes where I’m from so I didn’t realize that they can actually be so destructive.

I feel like its important to help people who were affected so I will definitely be donating to whatever charities I hear of.”

Dr. Nicole Whitner, the Dean of Students at USD, sent out an email on Oct. 3, offering support for students with families affected by the hurricane. Students were encouraged to alert the Office of Financial Aid if their family had been troubled by Hurricane Helene. Additionally, students were reminded of USD’s Student in Need fund. Students in financial hardship may request grants that do not need to be repaid to the university as a last resort in emergency situations.

Evan Zub, a USD sophomore from Wilmington, North Carolina, knows many people who were affected by the storm.

Zub spoke on being able to keep in touch with family members.

“Luckily I have been able to stay in touch with them,” Zub said. “Being on the opposite side of the country isn’t ideal and not being there to help has been on my mind a lot. A lot of our neighbors have been hit hard, making me more scared for the future of our community.”

Hurricane Helene has passed over the east coast and back into the Atlantic Ocean, new hurricanes rapidly appear in the Atlantic and pose a threat to the coast.

Residents continue to prepare as Hurricane Milton arrives.

The USD Vista publication is written and edited by USD students and funded by revenues generated by advertising and a student fee.

Advertising material published is for information purposes only and is not to be construed as an expressed or implied endorsement or verification of such commercial venues by the staff or University.

The USD Vista office is located on the fourth floor of the Student Life Pavilion in room 403B. All inquiries should be sent to: The USD Vista 5998 Alcala Park San Diego, CA 92110 Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of The USD Vista staff, the University of San Diego or of its student body.

Letters to the Editor can be submitted to The USD Vista office.

Letters should be limited to 300 words and must be signed. For identification purposes, USD identification numbers and writer’s year must be included in the letter. The USD Vista reserves the right to edit published letters. Any content sent to the editor will be considered for publication unless otherwise stated.

Volume 62 Issue 4 •

NEWS

•

The USD Vista

Vance and Walz showdown in New York

3

A breakdown of the Vice Presidential Debate

EMMA PIRHALA NEWS EDITOR The final planned debate of this election season occurred on Oct. 1, between vice presidential nominees, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance. The event marked the first time the two candidates had met. Some USD students remained glued to their TVs as they viewed the debate, whereas other students didn’t watch at all.

USD first-year Bethany Tate didn’t watch the debate for a few reasons.

“I knew it was happening and my mom was urging me to watch it because she’s very political in that sense,” Tate explained. “But I just didn’t have time in the day to watch. I don’t know, I am just not interested in politics like that.”

The debate was broadcasted

by CBS News with anchors Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan as the moderators.

Leading up to the broadcast, both campaigns determined rules to maintain civility and decorum.

Moderators directed questions to each candidate and provided two minutes to respond, and the other nominee received two minutes for a rebuttal. After the initial banter, candidates were allowed another minute each to make final remarks.

If Walz or Vance continued speaking past their time limit, their microphones would be muted so that the audience wouldn’t be able to hear them.

Additionally, live factchecking by the moderators was not included in this debate, different from last month’s presidential debate where the practice was reintroduced following eight years of ceased use. Fact-checking was available to viewers via a QR code on CBS’s broadcast.

However, audiences streaming from other channels did not have access to the QR code. This forced some viewers to rely on other fact-checking sources or to disregard the practice entirely.

USD sophomore Sidony Douei shared her opinion on the disregard of live fact-checking.

“I think [not fact-checking live] impacts decision-making in the crowd because people are believing what they want to believe,” Douei explained.

“I don’t think it’s a good thing to stop the fact-checking.”

Despite the absence of live fact-checking, Brennan clarified a statement made

by Vance regarding Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio.

“Look, in Springfield, Ohio and in communities all across this country, you’ve got schools that are overwhelmed, you’ve got

The candidates spoke back and forth discussing current issues.

hospitals that are overwhelmed, you have got housing that is totally unaffordable because we brought in millions of illegal immigrants to compete with Americans for scarce homes,” Vance said. “The people that I’m most worried about in Springfield, Ohio, are the American citizens who have had their lives destroyed by Kamala Harris’s open border.”

In response, Brennan fact-checked the senator.

“And just to clarify for our viewers, Springfield, Ohio does have a large number of Haitian migrants who have legal status, temporary protected status,” Brennan said.

The debate touched on many hot topics concerning voters such as abortion, immigration and the border, conflicts in the Middle East and climate change. Walz and Vance attempted to find common ground while directing many of their attacks not to each other, but rather, toward the presidential candidates.

One instance of this was on the topic of gun violence, where Vance agreed that the country’s school shootings are tragic, and later related the issue to open border policies under the Biden-Harris administration.

“I think that Governor Walz and I actually probably agree that we need to do better on [the issue of school shootings].

Photo courtesy of @TRTWorldNow/X

Vance and Walz face off at the debate.

Photo courtesy of @ridethewave/Instagram

The question is just how do we actually do it,” Vance stated.

“We know that thanks to Kamala Harris’s open border, we’ve seen a massive influx in the number of illegal guns run by the Mexican drug cartel,” Vance continued.

Similarly, Walz found middle ground with Vance regarding poverty in rural areas. However, not without first placing blame on Trump’s economic policies in office.

“I think the thing that most concerns me on this is, is Donald Trump was the guy who created the largest trade deficit in American history with China,” Walz said. “Much of what the senator said right there, I’m in agreement with him on [needing to improve the economy].”

Despite differences, the debate rendered a sympathetic moment between candidates, where Vance offered his condolences to Walz after hearing that Walz’s son witnessed a shooting.

“Tim, first of all, I didn’t know that your 17 year old witnessed the shooting,” Vance stated. “And I’m sorry about that. And I hope, Christ, have mercy. It is awful.”

As the debate concluded, both candidates admitted missteps and cleared up questions about their pasts. Walz initially tiptoed around a question regarding his

presence in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square protest in spring of 1989. But the Minnesota governor eventually stated that he actually arrived in China in the summer of 1989, months after the protest.

“I got there that summer and misspoke on this … So I was in Hong Kong and China during the democracy protest, went in, and from that, I learned a lot of what needed to be in governance,” Walz said.

Likewise, Vance touched on his previous comments about running-mate former President Donald Trump’s competency, including likening him to Hitler which was mentioned by the moderators.

“I’ve always been open and sometimes, of course, I’ve disagreed with the President, but I’ve also been extremely open about the fact that I was wrong about Donald Trump,” Vance explained. “I was wrong, first of all, because I believed some of the media stories that turned out to be dishonest fabrications of his record.”

Last Tuesday’s debate marked the final event for voters to watch the VP candidates interact in person. With just weeks left before Election Day sweeps the nation, the time for voters to decide who will receive their vote is ticking.

Preferential legacy admissions banned California becomes the fifth state to do so

From Admissions, Page 1 to having only one application deadline (no early action or early decision), no longer using standardized tests, and having a very holistic review process.”

The University ended the use of legacy admissions in 2020 alongside the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU), which USD is a member of . However, the AICCU opposed the new bill due to its legislative intervention in college admissions. AICCU Vice President of Government Relations Alex Graves expressed the organization’s opposition to the bill prior to its passing at a California Senate hearing on education on June 19.

“We have historically maintained strong reservations

as a sector about the state dictating admissions or academic practice at private colleges admittedly,” Graves stated.

Despite some backlash, the introduction of the law makes California the fifth state in the nation to ban legacy admissions.

Although it will not make a major difference at USD, admissions will change at the six California universities that still utilize legacy preferences: Santa Clara University, Stanford University, University of Southern California, Northeastern University Oakland, Harvey Mudd College and Claremont McKenna University.

However, on the national scale, admissions counselors have mixed opinions regarding whether or not the ban will

provide greater transparency and equitability. Some question if those legacy spots will be filled by other privileged applicants. Pultz explained the uncertainty of legacy admissions throughout the country.

“As for the broader landscape of college admissions, it is still unclear whether this will have the desired impact, which is to level the playing field,” Pultz said. “It will take some time to realize the full impact, but it is an important first step in trying to provide a more transparent and equitable process.”

Students have differing opinions on whether legacy status should be a factor in admissions decisions. USD junior Diego Castillo identifies himself as a legacy student,

since his mother attended the University. Castillo shared that he believes legacy status should be factored into the admit process.

“Personally, I believe that universities should factor in legacy status in the admissions process because at the end of the day, it builds some pride around the school and within families that can celebrate the fact that there’s a bit of a tradition starting,” Castillo explained. “Legacy, as I see it, is a good thing. It’s something to celebrate and builds this culture of striving to continue the tradition. I know this is true, for me personally, because when I decided I was going to attend USD, my mom and I were really happy to have started a legacy.

But I knew that in order to keep

the legacy, I needed to get here to USD and put in the work.”

However, other students oppose the use of legacy status as an admissions factor. USD firstyear Minette Amador explained why she opposes the use of preferential legacy admissions.

“I feel like it is not really fair,” Amador said. “[Being a legacy] is an advantage but it doesn’t make [admissions] a fair process, since [universities are] admitting people because their parents attended and I feel like every single person is different.”

California’s ban will take effect next year impacting the class of 2025 applying to colleges other than USD. The landscape of college admissions continues to change as new legislation is introduced.

4

Volume 62 Issue 4

•

The USD Vista

ARTS & CULTURE

Kenny G brings smooth jazz to USD

Popular saxophonist discusses his journey in the music industry LARA DOMINIQUE SOLANTE

COPY EDITOR

Almost 40 years after his most popular song, “Songbird,” was released, Kenneth Gorelick — best known as “Kenny G” — played the same saxophone that he did back then, onstage at USD. In collaboration with Warwick’s bookstore, the USD College of Arts and Sciences and Humanities Center brought the popular saxophonist to discuss his newest memoir, “Life in the Key of G,” alongside professor and Music Department Chair, Jeff Malecki, who moderated the event.

Gorelick began his journey in the music industry by playing solos for R&B songs with vocal artists such as George Benson, Patti LaBelle and Aretha Franklin. On his own, Gorelick would experiment with synthesizers and other instruments to try and find his own sound. This led him to the creation of his most popular single, “Songbird.”

That song kick-started the most commercially successful part of his career after he played it without permission on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny

Carson.” He was expected to perform a vocal song, but, in a last-minute decision, chose to play his original piece, “Songbird,” instead.

Gorelick explained that he wasn’t necessarily fond of what he was doing with his record label at the time. He viewed this as his one opportunity to truly put himself out there.

After playing his own piece live on national television, Gorelick was scolded by his manager, who had pulled some strings to get him on the show.

“What the guy that yelled at me didn’t realize was, the world saw what I did,” Gorelick said. “It wasn’t about [Johnny Carson] or his show or the people he had to either convince or not convince that I was worthy of being on the show. The world saw that.”

After his spontaneous performance on the show, “Songbird” went on to be one of the most successful instrumental tracks in the past 50 years, with almost 50 million streams. Today, Gorelick has 1.8 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

Since then, he has added many studio and compilation

Kenneth Gorelick, known as ‘Kenny G,’ playing his instrument, the soprano saxophone.

Kenny G and professor Jeff Malecki onstage in the Warren Auditorium on Oct. 1.

albums to his discography.

Gorelick is known for the way that he connects with his audience. During his concerts, he interacts with them by entering the audience and performing around them.

Before the invention of wireless microphones, instrumental artists would stay in one spot

Photo Courtesy of @kennyg/Instagram

on the stage and perform, but with the invention of wireless technology, they were able to clip microphones to their instruments and walk around.

One night at a jazz club in San Diego, a bandmate suggested to Gorelick that he should walk around the audience.

“I step off the stage for the first time, and I’m right there playing next to everybody,” Gorelick shared.

“It was unbelievable. I could hear the sound coming out of the speakers and around the house. It was the coolest feeling. I loved it and I said, ‘I’m doing this every single night.’”

Gorelick explained that he does this in order to connect with the audience in the same way that vocal artists can.

“The thing about instrumental music is that, to connect is not as easy as with vocal music,” Gorelick said.

“Vocals are going to tell you what the song is about, and you can connect with it if you’ve got the same feelings. When I’m next to everyone playing, the notes don’t matter anymore because now, we’re connecting.”

When he’s not connecting with the audience, Gorelick spends time working on new songs. Every day, he practices playing his saxophone from 7-10 a.m. and uses the rest of the day to exercise and pursue his hobbies, which include golfing and flying planes. For Gorelick, joy is what drives his creativity.

“It’s about whatever makes your quality of life better,” Gorelick shared. “You’ve got to think about what you love, what makes your heart sing, whatever that thing is, and try to do that.

Within one’s life, whatever that joy is that you can feel… Try to figure out how you can make that a big part of your life.”

This insight into joy is something that stuck with professor Jeff Malecki,

Photo Courtesy of Magdalene Mcrae

who shared the stage with Gorelick that night to moderate the event. He explained how students can take this advice to heart.

“He kept coming back to joy,” Malecki said. “When we’re talking about practice — he was talking about practicing saxophone, but maybe it’s studying for an exam or working on a senior project — can you find joy in that? That’s what life’s all about, and it’s so important and refreshing.”

Many students attended the event to catch a glimpse of the saxophone star. For USD students studying music, seeing Gorelick in the flesh was inspiring.

“I’ve been a classical saxophonist since elementary school, and Kenny G was the only famous saxophonist that I ever knew growing up,” USD first-year James Strobeck said. “He wasn’t really ‘high and mighty’ about his art.

He was very down to earth and very much himself, even though he is so successful. It really highlights how music is art and not something that you can just corporatize.”

USD fifth-year Lauren O’Donnell, a member of the wind ensemble, shared her biggest takeaway from the event.

“He has a really strong work ethic, but he loves what he does,” O’Donnell said.

“I learned to take all the opportunities that you can. He’s very passionate about the world, passionate about what he does, and that’s really inspiring.”

15 studio albums, 18 compilation albums and 41 singles later, Gorelick plans to re-record his songs in order to own the copyright to the original sound recordings of his music. Until then, Gorelick will continue to share his smooth jazz with the world and find joy in his art.

Volume 62 Issue 4

◆

The USD Vista

5

6

The USD Vista

•

October 10, 2024

Volume 62 Issue 4

•

FEATURE

•

The USD Vista

7

8

The USD Vista

•

OCTOBER 10, 2024

AR TS & FEATURE

Fan favorite farmers markets Students share the best local markets in San Diego HAILEY HOWELL FEATURE EDITOR Many USD students love spending time at farmers markets when taking a break from the stress of classes. With jewelry, clothing and food, the opportunities to try new cuisine and find handcrafted items are endless. Exploring these markets allow students to give back to the community by purchasing items that were made locally, which can help to support small businesses.

Luckily, there are many farmers markets in the San Diego area which offer a variety of local vendors and operating times.

On Sundays, the Hillcrest Farmers Market runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 3960 Normal St. from Lincoln Ave. to University Ave. They offer a mix of clothing, flowers and food from over 175 different vendors, as stated on their website.

USD sophomore Isabel Dumsky shared her thoughts and experiences after going to this market.

“I’ve been to Little Italy and Hillcrest,” Dumsky said. “And honestly, I really enjoyed the Hillcrest [market]. The food options they had when I went back in February were really good. I got these barbecue dumplings … they were really yummy.

Normally the farmers markets I go to are just on the weekends, and I like to go basically just to browse. I normally like to hit up the jewelry vendors and also just the lemonade vendors as well.”

Many students have also visited the Little Italy Mercato Farmers Market, which goes from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday and 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every Wednesday. The market is located on West Date Street from west of Kettner Boulevard to Front Street, according to their website. Vendors sell goods such as fresh produce, plants, drinks,

handcrafted gifts and more.

USD sophomore Paola Flores-Fuentes explained why she likes visiting the market in Little Italy.

“I’ve actually only gone to one, and that’s the Little Italy one,” Flores-Fuentes said. “I honestly really did enjoy it because the ambiance is so nice, and it’s also near the water so you can have a quick day out there as well.”

Flores-Fuentes also described the variety of food options that the market offered and her favorite things that she experienced.

“There was a really good matcha stand there, and I really enjoyed that … I love the lemonade stands as well,” FloresFuentes said. “I really enjoy, like the art aspect of it. I really like … seeing the jewelry but also all of the other art that is there.”

While some students enjoy the art at the Little Italy farmers market, others are drawn to the local produce. USD junior Michaela Garcia shared that she enjoys the market due to the food options that are offered.

“I love that the Little Italy Mercado offers gluten-free and vegan options, making it more enjoyable and inclusive for others,” Garcia said. “As a vegetarian, I appreciate the inclusivity that allows me to try new foods. This particular farmers market has so much personality as it extends throughout the Little Italy district … It is such a fun place to be and explore. Each vendor brings their own charm, making every interaction feel personal and inviting. It’s also an easy place to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables.”

Garcia also shared that she loves the different finds that can be discovered at this market.

“The Little Italy Farmers Market is about six blocks long, offering a variety of food and other products such as vegetables, sauces, hummus, granola,

The Sunset Market in Oceanside stays busy with large crowds.

Photo courtesy of @oceansidesunsetmarket/Instagram

flowers, jewelry, pottery, French perfume and clothing,” Garcia said. “Additionally, there’s readyto-eat desserts [and other foods], such as tamales, empanadas, sandwiches, mango sticky rice, chai tea and so much more.

The last time I went I bought plums, peaches, a summer dress and mango sticky rice.”

Another spot, located not too far from campus, is the market in Ocean Beach. This farmers market is on Wednesday evenings from 4 - 8 p.m., which is convenient for students after finishing up their classes. The market is located on the 4900 block of Newport Ave and they offer items such as kombucha, freshly baked goods and desserts as stated on their website.

USD junior Tenley Brown shared her experiences after stopping at the OB farmers market.

“I went to a Wednesday night market,” Brown said. “I think that was actually Ocean Beach ... [the Ocean Beach market is] just next to the beach, so you can get your food and go to the beach after, which is really nice. I like

The Oceanside Sunset Market draws crowds at night.

Photo courtesy of @oceansidesunsetmarket/Instagram

that it’s at night too. I don’t know, I just really like night markets.

They’re all really busy, and there’s just a lot of people. People bring their dogs and stuff so it’s fun.”

If students want to make the drive to visit North County, the Oceanside Sunset Market is on Thursday evenings from 5 - 9 p.m. This market is located on Pier View Way, west of Coast Highway, in Downtown Oceanside. According to their website, live music, local artisans and a variety of food can be found at this market. AJ Yalagonda, a USD junior, shared her take on why this market is her favorite.

“I grew up in San Diego, but I feel like there’s a lot [of markets],” Yalagonda shared.

“There’s the one in OB, there’s also the one in Del Mar … oh my god, the Oceanside one.

It’s called Sunset Market. It’s like a semi farmers market, because there’s some people who bring produce, and when I

say produce, I mean honey and random stuff. But then it’s also like a lot of cultural food. So it’s like every country you could ever think of they have a tent.

It’s awesome. It’s really nice.”

Yalagonda described her favorite item that keeps her going back to this market.

“Meadow foam honey,” Yalagonda said. “It’s the best honey on this planet. It tastes like marshmallows, and it’s not artificially injected to taste like marshmallows. It’s just the bees go to a very specific flower I believe and the honey tastes like marshmallows.”

There are plenty of farmers markets to choose from when you live in the San Diego area – whether located close to the water or a little more inland.

Each farmers market also has its own unique personality based on its community, which allows students to get to know different areas of San Diego.

Plants are commonly sold at San Diego farmers markets.

Shannen Swars/The USD Vista

The USD Vista

•

October 10, 2024

9

OPINION

Unprepared and exposed Rethinking our safety on campus

clear and the drill would end.

When I arrived at USD, JULIE FROMM after spending four years at a ASST. OPINION EDITOR public high school with police officers on every floor and an In my four years as a student awareness of every possible at USD, I have never had to exit at all times, I was shocked show my student I.D. in order to realize how easily someone to get on campus or to prove could enter the campus and why I was on campus. USD is that accessing classrooms an open campus, and therefore would be just as simple. allows students, campus The unveiling of the new employees, faculty and visitors Knauss School of Business to enter and exit the premises left me with more fears. As I as they please. With gun control walked through the building, as a heated and common topic I realized almost every room of discussion — in the news, was fashioned with a clear in the presidential and vice- glass door and glass walls presidential debates and on surrounding them. A crucial social media — my safety has aspect of the active shooter been at the forefront of my drills from my childhood was mind. And knowing that I have the ability to stay hidden. If never had to prove why I was a shooter were to enter the entering USD I realized that if building, there would be very an individual with ill-intentions little time for students and staff enters campus, there is very to sufficiently react and hide. little anyone could do about it.

California has not Our open campus restricts us experienced any deadly from being completely safe, and university shootings in 2024, the lack of identity verification according to Everytown for Gun exacerbates this fact. Safety, which abates my fears According to Everytown somewhat. Though the idea for Gun Safety, a non-profit that our campus community organization advocating for could be unprepared for gun control, there have been an emergency situation, at least 160 incidents of such as an active shooter, is gunfire on school grounds in still incredibly worrisome.

2024. Of these incidents, 46 Captain Quentin “Q” deaths and 106 injuries have Kawahara, the Department of been recorded nationally. Public Safety Captain, provided Gun safety has been on information on USD’s safety my mind since I was a child precautions in the case of an Knauss’ tall glass doors pose as a saftey threat to students and faculty. after 26 people at Sandy emergency. There are several Hook Elementary School safety measures in place to out for,” Captain Kawahara instance of an emergency. were shot and killed. When give students, faculty and staff said. “If there’s a greeter, or one Captain Kawahara discussed this happened, I was ten- peace of mind in the face of of our kiosk officers on scene, a new online training course years-old, eating breakfast an emergency situation. These they would be on the lookout.” that went into effect this year. in the kitchen while my mom include license plate cameras When I first moved onto The training focuses on gun watched the news on mute. at the campus entrances campus four years ago, I was safety and is included in the After that day, active shooter and well trained officers on surprised to learn that there mandatory online courses that drills were incorporated into duty at all times. However, were no mandatory emergency- students are required to take at my everyday school life. Twice these precautions do not preparedness training sessions, the beginning of each semester. a year, my teachers would guarantee the campus’s safety. especially for incoming first“All incoming students and, barricade the doors, turn off “Obviously it’s not 100%, year students. As someone I believe incoming transfer the lights and my classmates but it generally does a great who was unfamiliar with students, have to take this and I would remain silent job of capturing those license the campus, I would have required online training,” until we were given the all plates that we can be looking been completely lost in the Captain Kawahara said.

“Within that training is an aspect of public safety that consists of the run, hide, fight training video, as well as the emergency procedures that are on our website, as well.”

Additionally, there will be in-person active shooter training sessions available to the USD community later this October. These presentations will be open to the entire USD community, and participants must RSVP to Captain Kawahara via email before the presentations. The Campus Emergency Procedures Review and Guidance for Surviving an Active Shooter/Assailant Situation presentations will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 15 The majority of Knauss’ classrooms have glass walls.

Lauren Ceballos/The USD Vista and Thursday, Oct. 24 from

Shannen Swars/The USD Vista

12:30pm-1:30 pm in KIPJ 215 and Saints Tekakwitha & Serra 104B, respectively. According to Captain Kawahara, attending these sessions and being wellprepared in the face of an emergency can be the difference between life and death.

“A lot of the time, the reaction to facing a critical incident is that you freeze, and seconds are critical in a reaction to that type of incident,” Captain Kawahara said. “If you’re mentally prepared…

You’re able to prepare yourself and do what you need to do to survive the incident.”

Adding new mandatory online training and offering more emergency preparedness presentations is a step in the right direction, but my safety while on campus is still a major concern of mine. Because of the open campus policy, there is no way to guarantee the safety of the USD community, but ensuring that the in-case-ofemergency conversations are happening openly and often is critical to keeping ourselves safe. If the campus is to remain open to the public, it is up to us to be aware and prepared to handle an emergency situation.

The views expressed in the editorial and op-ed sections are not necessarily those of The USD Vista staff, the University of San Diego, or its student body.

Volume 62 Issue 4

10

•

OPINION

•

The USD Vista

OPINION Give it a chance College gets better

ZOE ROGERS OPINION EDITOR Freshman year is easily one of the more influential years in a student’s academic career. You’re in a new school — for some, a new city or state — with a whole new set of people, in a completely new environment that is unlike high school. While freshman year has its highs and lows, it’s important to know that in the midst of the hardships that freshman year offers, college does get better.

While I can agree now, as a sophomore, that college has been the best years of my life so far, I would not have said the same a year ago. I was extremely intimidated by the new world I was walking into after high school, and I remained that way for the first two to three months of my first year at USD. I was born and raised in Texas and went to a private high school of about 400 students total. So, naturally, moving out of state to a school that has a little less than 6,000 undergraduates was quite the adjustment. I was completely

overwhelmed with the fact that I was living with two girls I had never met or talked to before, forced to live away from my parents in another state and the needing to adjust to fit into this new community I was entering.

For me, and I am sure a lot of first-years can relate, I was extremely apprehensive of this abrupt adjustment. Not only was college hyped up to be one of the best years of my life, but there was also this pressure looming over me to find the friends that would last me a lifetime. I remember upon moving to college, I would always hear the phrase: you’ll meet your people in college.

But once I arrived on campus, I struggled with finding new friendships and extending myself socially. I seemed to stick to the same routine that I implemented into my daily life, and never really got to know anyone new except for my roommates and a few people in my classes.

I began to think to myself that college was overhyped and wasn’t at all lining up with the high expectations I had for it coming in. The challenges of being a first-

year seemed to disrupt the dream I had hoped college would be.

When you don’t have a car, are forced to make new friends, are tired of the meal plan, not getting enough sleep, living in a new city and struggling in school, college becomes a little less exciting.

I found my biggest challenge was branching out and finding friends I could create a close relationship with.

There’s nothing like the distinct inconvenience of wanting to go to SLP having no one to go with, and going alone seems like a worse option than not going at all.

Though to combat this strange sense of loneliness, it’s important to put yourself out there. While I know this is easier said than done, it’s important to take up the opportunities you have to engage in the possibility of facilitating a new friendship.

Talk to your classmate that you haven’t spoken to yet, or join a club that sparks your interest.

Take advantage of the fact that many people here don’t know who you are. Explore the possibilities of reaching out and meeting new people.

I remember coming home for Thanksgiving and feeling somewhat disappointed when I didn’t have any good stories or achievements to share with my family at the dinner table. I was prompted with the question: How do you like college so far? I froze as I realized I honestly didn’t like it all.

It was hard to see my friends from high school posting consistently at the football games they were attending or gettogethers they were at with their friends. I noticed a stark contrast to my social life at USD where I was struggling to figure out what to do on my Friday night. I would usually resort to staying in my dorm and watching a movie. I realized that during the school week, I was so anxious to get to the weekends, but when the weekends came, I had nothing to do. I felt like I was missing something in my college life, but I didn’t know what it was.

It’s easy to say that freshman year will remain difficult, and that no matter what you do, it will always be tough to navigate. But the truth is, once spring semester

comes around, and you’re more comfortable in your environment and your daily schedules, being a first-year doesn’t seem to be as difficult anymore.

In my spring semester of my first year, I found myself going to the beach more, meeting new people, nurturing deeper relationships, doing well in my academics and joining clubs that I liked.

If you put in the effort, your first year of college can be an amazing experience. I like to think of it as what you put into it is what you get out of it. If you join a club you’re interested in, focus on your academics and put yourself out of your comfort zone, you are giving yourself the tools you need to set your first year up for greatness and eventually realize that college does live up to its expectations.

While it may be daunting at first, your first year is a fundamental year of your college experience, and it’s important to do what you can to make the most of it. Prioritize creating a happy life for yourself, and the rest will fall into place.

Is this the fall of the midwest princess?

Chappell Roan owes more to her fans

ALEX KUETER ASST. OPINION EDITOR Chappell Roan is an overnight sensation of 10 years in the making.

She released her first song, “Die Young” in 2015, but it would take two record labels, and eight more years of making music for her to blow up seemingly overnight in 2023 with the release of her second album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.” The singer-songwriter has accumulated an impressive five million followers on Instagram and 40 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Her rise to fame was fast, going from relatively unheard of to a world-wide phenomenon even here at USD where her music has become common background noise in places such as Aromas or Bosley Cafe. However, this rapid success has consequences. Though the singer has been working in the industry for years, her jump to stardom has left her unprepared for the downsides of fame.

Some of the star’s recent actions have led to online criticism, starting after Roan shared a screenshot of a statement she wrote in her notes app on Instagram on Aug. 13 detailing her want for privacy and separation from her fans. The main message of the post expressed the fact that women performers like herself deserve respect and admiration from a distance.

Roan states how some “superfans” have begun stalking her, contacting her friends and family and making disturbing and disparaging comments about her.

“I do not accept harassment of any kind because I chose this path, nor do I deserve it,” Roan said.

The public’s feedback about this post was very positive, with most fans and even other artists supporting it. However, this marked the beginning of her less popular statements.

After some people reacted negatively to the post, Roan then went on to post a series of TikToks reacting to those less supportive people. She described them as entitled, creepy stalkers, reffering to their strange behavior as a random person asking to take a photo, which she, like many other celebrities, experience often. These posts, unlike the initial notes app post, had a negative response from fans. While Roan likely didn’t mean to lump in all her fans with the bad behaviors of some, the message came off as such and made her seem entitled and ungrateful.

Many of her problems with fans could be solved with larger security teams and practical precautions.

The controversies ramped up later that month when Roan abruptly canceled two shows with less than a 24 hour notice on her European tour to perform at the VMAs. Roan’s cancellation enraged

fans, many of whom spent hundreds of dollars on tickets and travel to see her. Only some of said fans can be refunded. Roan additionally appeared to go against her message of prioritizing her music in the face of societal pressure. Roan had historically prioritized her fans over popular appearances like the VMAs, which added to the impression that she was becoming fame hungry, despite only recently obtaining fame.

This was repeated when in September, Roan canceled two shows on little notice citing mental health concerns.

“I feel pressures to prioritize a lot of things right now and I need a few days to prioritize my health,” Roan wrote. “I want to be present when I perform and give the best shows possible.

Thank you for understanding.”

This created another series of issues from fans, many of whom again would not be able to be refunded for the costs of the tickets.

This situation is incredibly complex, and most of the issues people have with the star’s actions have less to do with what she is actually doing, and more to do with how she is doing them. While canceling shows is never ideal, repeatedly canceling on such short notice is a very bad look, especially when canceling to perform at an exclusive event like the VMAs. Many people, like myself, would support Roan taking mental

health days if it wasn’t such an inconvenience to her fans. I wouldn’t have had a huge problem with the tour cancellations if she hadn’t continuously overburdened herself in the days and weeks prior, through adding opening performances, interviews and other appearances.

Having fans is an important aspect of being successful, and as an artist you can interact with them as much as you choose. Becoming angry or irritated with your fans when they’re treating you like a celebrity and wanting pictures or autographs feels very distasteful.

Part of being a successful artist is having people who want to see you, and you owe at least neutrality towards them. Roan frequently mentions how she no longer feels safe alone in public, which I think is in the job description. Becoming a celebrity means you need security -and protection, and that walking alone in public is probably not the safest idea. Giving up some aspects of normal life is the price of the career, and she should expect no less.

Everything in life has trade offs, and becoming a world-wide star means you probably shouldn’t walk alone in public without some security — that’s just the society we live in.

However, other stars like Roan to their limits has historically been a bad idea. Singers like Brittany Spears or Miley Cyrus were pushed to perform through any conditions, placed on exhausting and restrictive schedules

and had their individual freedoms limited based on what would be best for their brands. As a result, both had very public breakdowns, turned to drugs and have had severe, long term struggles with mental health.

Maybe if they had been able to take more days off or had a more supportive PR team, they could’ve been healthier. Outcomes like this are the last thing anyone would want for Chappell Roan. If she is doing really badly, is it better to cancel some shows now rather than not have her in the future?

While Roan has security and a PR manager, relying on them more would help her control both how her messages come across and protect her safety with fans.

The balance between taking care of herself and upholding her duty as a performer is a very difficult one, but one Roan needs to find balance quickly. She needs to understand that while protecting one’s mental health is important, she does have a responsibility to fans, and should prioritize her health in controllable, small ways before hurting people in larger ways.

Additionally, being realistic about the price of her fame some things will forever be different, and she needs to adjust her expectations. I sincerely love Chappell Roan and admire all the good she has done for the LGBTQ+ community, she just needs to find her balance with fame and adjust to her new lifestyle.

The views expressed in the editorial and op-ed sections are not necessarily those of The USD Vista staff, the University of San Diego, or its student body.

Volume 62 Issue 4

◆

SPORTS

◆

11

The USD Vista

SPORTS

Triumph at tennis championships

USD tennis players Tarvet and Klaassen achieve All-American status From

Tennis,

Page

1

opponents in straight sets and won 50 out of 70 games played.

“This win alongside the other great teammates makes the season something that we’re all really excited for as we’re confident we can reach new achievements such as hosting NCAA’s and being a team that’s competing for a national championship,” Tarvet said.

USD tennis player Stian Klaassen is originally from Ziest, Netherlands and is a redshirt junior. Combined with Tarvet, the pair is the No. 23 ranked duo in the nation for mens tennis doubles. At the ITA AllAmerican Championships Titles, Klaassen and Tarvet defeated Marko Miladniovic and Oskar Brostrom Poulsen from Baylor University, 7-6 (7-4), 2-6, [10-5].

Klaassen talked about his success with Tarvet this early on in the season and his hopes for the rest of the year going forward.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season,” Klassen said. “While this win is exciting, our goal is to thrive in May during the NCAA team tournament. The work we

put in now will pay off then.”

On their way to the doubles championship match in Tulsa, OK, Klaassen and Tarvet won all four of their matches in straight sets. They defeated the teams ranked No. 3, 6, 26, and 72 in the country and were able to win 49 of 74 games total throughout the tournament.

Klaassen and Tarvet became the first Toreros ever to reach the doubles final. While Toreros have made it to the singles final in the past, this is the first time a Torero duo has ever reached the doubles final.

USD alumni, August Holmgren, reached the 2021 final but lost to current world No. 13 Ben Shelton. Holmgren is currently a professional tennis player and is the No. 2 ranked Danish player. His career-high rank was last seen this past August in 2024 at No. 163 in the world for singles.

With their respective quarter final victories, Klaassen and Tarvet qualified for the NCAA Individual Championships, set to take place from Nov. 18-24. This is the first time the championships will take

place in the fall rather than during the spring season.

In the past season, spring of 2024, the Toreros took home their first WCC Tournament title since 2022. The team received their eighth West Coast Conference (WCC) regular season title by defeating LMU (11-10, 4-4 WCC) with a decisive 4-0 win. To follow up this victory the Toreros defeated Santa Clara (18-6, 4-4 WCC) in the semifinal at the Aztec Tennis Center in San Diego on April 25 and Pepperdine (14-11, 7-1 WCC) on Saturday, April 27 to win the 2024 WCC Tournament.

With their impressive performances at the ITA AllAmerican Championships, Oliver Tarvet and Stian Klaassen have set the tone for what could be a groundbreaking season for USD men’s tennis. Their historic victories not only place them among the elite in college tennis, but also demonstrate the strength and potential of the Toreros as they aim for further success in both singles and doubles competitions. As they look ahead to the NCAA Championships and other major

USD junior Oliver Tarvet wins singles.

tournaments, the dedication and teamwork they’ve shown will continue to drive

Photo courtesy of @usd_tennis/Instagram

them toward even greater accomplishments and victories on the national stage.

Toreros win in overtime off of a fumble

Trey Ortega forces a fumble, allowing Ruben Lopez to run 87 yards for the win LAUREN CEBALLOS ASSOCIATE EDITOR USD Toreros played at home against Presbytarian College on Saturday Oct. 5, and they proudly walked off the field after winning in overtime off a fumble.

The game started out with a touchdown by Presbytarian in the second quarter followed by the kick. USD senior wide receiver Ja’seem Reed scored the first Torero touchdown a few minutes later. This was followed by a successful kick from USD senior kicker, Aidan Lehman.

In the third quarter, each team scored another touchdown sealed with the kick. For the Toreros, USD senior wide receiver Josh Heverly caught the pass and Lehman secured his second field goal. Going into the fourth quarter the score was 14-14 which changed when Presbytarian scored a touchdown and the kick off the run with 2:01 left in the game.

With a touchdown in the last eight seconds, Toreros were able to tie the game thanks to the Sergent-Heverly duo and Lehman’s extra point. The score was 21-21 going into overtime (OT). Presbyterian had the first possession in OT. USD senior defensive back Trey Ortega worked to reverse the possession, making a hit that forced a Presbytarian fumble. USD junior defensive back Ruben Lopez, this

week’s PFL (Pioneer Football League) Co-Defensive Player of the Week, picked up the ball and ran to the end zone, allowing for a USD victory.

Lopez saw the action and took advantage of it, creating a scoop-and-score.

“I saw the tight end downblock, I saw Jerry Riggins pick up the ball, see him get hit, see the ball in front of me and I just saw nothing but daylight, and didn’t — or actually I did look back,” Lopez said.

“I tried not to look back, but just touchdown from there.”

While success builds the energy of the crowd, it doesn’t always put fuel in the tank.

“I was gassed probably at like the 20 yard line, but besides that it was a great feeling, awesome feeling, having my team in the end zone and just knowing that’s how we finish the game,” Lopez said.

Lopez was ready to take on overtime when Heverly caught the pass of the previous touchdown.

“Honestly I was excited just to be in that position,” Lopez explained. “We were losing at that point so being put in that situation to be zero, zero, and have another chance, it felt good. [I was] excited and just wanted to be back out there.”

Lopez shared how his week started off differently than it ended.

“I was in a weird mental state

last week but coming into this week I was excited, high energy, focused,” Lopez said. “So I felt good. Same thing with the team, we had a good week of practice, so transitioning from a loss to a win this week, it felt good.”

Another key player in the game was Grant Sergent, USD graduate student and quarterback, who threw three touchdown passes.

Sergent knew they would pull through with the win.

“There was no doubt in my mind that we were going to win the game,” Sergent said. “After coming back and getting that last second touchdown, I knew we had to win that game … We just have a great group of guys and we’re fighters, we fight ‘til the end. I love this team and we’re gonna do big things this year.”

USD graduate student and outside linebacker Chase Lyons was proud of his team, acknowledging their progression throughout the game.

“You know, it was like up and down,” Lyons explained.

“We didn’t start how we wanted to, we didn’t start the second half how we wanted to, but we found a way at the end and you could really feel the energy that fourth quarter, and then overtime, so it was good to just come together as a team and finally have a good quarter of football,” Lyons explained.

USD graduate student and defensive back

Eric Haney agreed.

“Going in I felt great,” Haney said. “I thought we had something to prove ‘cause we were just 0 and 2 the past couple of weeks but [we] definitely had something to prove. We had a couple good weeks of practice, so [we] came in confident.”

Haney knew they had to close out the game with a win.

“We had the faith, so I was happy that we were going into overtime. But I knew we had to seal it ‘cause last year we were 0 and 2 in overtime so we knew we just had to come out a little different this time,” Haney shared.

The players felt a high after their victory.

“I was like ‘thank God’ at first, and then after that I was

like this is the team right here,” Lyons said. “We could have easily quit. We could have easily gave up, but we found a way to keep going and stay together.”

Players hugged their families with excitement after the game, spreading the energy from the win. Haney explained that the feeling of the win was inexplicable.

“Just an amazing feeling, it was like a miracle,” Haney expressed. “Something you can’t even explain, it was miraculous.”

Coming up, Toreros have a bye week, a week where the team doesn’t play a game, after their win on Oct. 5 and will return to the field on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 2 p.m. in Torero Stadium against Marist College. Toreros hope to claim another win at home.

Toreros stormed No. 6, Ruben Lopez, after his amazing play.

Photo courtesy of @usdfootball/Instagram

The USD Vista

12

◆

October 10, 2024

SPORTS

Padres make the playoffs

San Diego clears a path to the postseason LUKAS BLANKENSTEIN CONTRIBUTOR

After a shaky start to the season, the Padres have rebounded to make the playoffs and defeat the Atlanta Braves in the Wild Card round. San Diego’s only current professional sports team has renewed hope in what is often seen as one of America’s most cursed sports cities.

After a disappointing campaign last year where the Padres missed the playoffs, the Padres were expected to take a step back this season. According to ESPN, they only had a 32% chance to make the playoffs. A large amount of that was the Padres decision to lower their payroll over the off-season.

In addition to losing numerous other important players, the Padres lost both their best starting pitcher, Blake Snell, and closer (the pitcher who is brought in to end close games), Josh Hader, in free agency, where a player whose contract has just ended is able to sign with a different team.

Most importantly though, the Padres traded Juan Soto, who finished sixth in MVP voting and had won four straight Silver Slugger awards, the annual award given to the best offensive player at their position last season, for four other MLB players and one young prospect. The only big offseason addition that the Padres made was for pitcher Dylan Cease, but for many it wasn’t seen as enough to improve the team.

In their preseason preview ESPN ranked the Padres as the No. 13 team in the league, giving the following justification.

“The 2024 Padres are less talented than the 2023 version, even after their recent addition of Dylan Cease,” Jorge Castillo wrote for ESPN. For the first 100 games of the season, it looked like the doubters may have been right as the Padres were 50-50. And according to Fangraphs, they only had 34.5% chance to make the playoffs. However, the Padres went on a tear throughout the league after that, finishing the season on a 43-19 run to clinch the top wild card spot and the crucial home field advantage against the Atlanta Braves.

It was expected that if the Padres were to make a deep run, their stars like Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Yu Darvish, would have to have incredible seasons to carry the team. While they have been great, they have not been the Padres most valuable players.

According to Baseball Reference’s WAR (wins above replacement), the most common ways to measure player value, the most valuable players have all been new additions to the team. In addition to the previously mentioned Dylan Cease, who has been the second most valuable player, there have been a series of three new faces at the top: Jackson Merrill (first), Michael King (third) and Jurickson Profar (fourth).

Micheal King picthes for the Padres.

Photo courtesy of @officalmikeking/Instagram

COMING UP THIS WEEK

Jackson Merrill & Jurickson Profar celebrating on field.

Jackson Merrill is a rookie center fielder who had not yet had a big league at bat before the 2024 season started. He was a prospect with moderate acclaim who was expected to be a decent player. What was not expected was for him to become the Padres most valuable player.

Merrill has stamped his mark on the lineup with a .826 OPS (on-base-plus-slugging), good for third on the team, while also playing one of the most important positions in the field.

He has firmly placed himself one of the favorites for rookie of the year, with most publications and sports books deeming it a toss up between himself and Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes.

Another unexpected face at the top of the WAR charts is Michael King, a career relief pitcher who was sent from the New York Yankees to the Padres as a part of the Juan Soto trade.

The Yankees sold high on King after the best year of his career.

While King struggled to adapt to being a full time starter at the beginning of the year, he has turned into one of the best starters in the league. He currently has the ninth lowest ERA (Earned Run Average) of any starter at 2.95. He was also given

Photo courtesy of @_jacksonmerrill_/Instagram

the honors of being the starter for the Padres first playoff game, giving him the reins for their most important game of the season.

The final new name to make a big impact for the Padres is Jurickson Profar. Profar is a 31-year-old career journeyman outfielder who was cut last season by one of the worst performing teams in the league, the Colorado Rockies. He joined the Padres following this and played in 14 games for them last season. He did enough to earn himself a $1 million dollar deal, and has flourished. This season, he has the best OPS on the Padres at .839.

The Padres have created a ton of excitement across the city of San Diego, including at USD. Matt Pearson, USD senior and lifelong Padres fan, was in attendance for the Padres first playoff game.

“The atmosphere is absolutely electric at the playoffs,” Pearson said. “The fans are fully immersed in the game.”

While the Padres success is exciting, many feel as though they have seen this story play out before. San Diego is often seen as an unlucky sports city, as they are the largest metropolitan area to not have a championship in any of the five major leagues. The only championship they have won

was the 1963 AFL championship, which was won before the AFLNFL merger and creation of the superbowl. Currently, the Padres are San Diego’s only sports team in the five major sports leagues, although there will be a new MLS team next year.

Luis Valdes Perez, a USD senior that has been a Padres fan since he moved to San Diego eight years ago, explained why he feels this year is different.

“It is true that San Diego is widely known as a ‘cursed city’ with good reason,” Valdes Perez said. “But the reason why it feels different is the attitude of the team. It’s a fun team to watch, and the clubhouse is full of players that know what their role is and are willing and able to perform, as well as having fun which is the fundamental piece of baseball.”

The Padres will need all that mojo if they want to take down their biggest rivals, the Dodgers, who have the best record in the league. But they have done it before, “slaying the dragon” in 2022 to send the Dodgers crashing out of the playoffs. Whether they can do it again remains to be unknown, but that doesn’t change some people’s opinion that this season and year feels different.

WVB vs LMU Thursday, Oct. 10 6 p.m.

San Diego, CA

USD WSOC vs Oregon Sate Wednesday, Oct. 12 6 p.m.

San Diego, CA

GOLF Stockton Pacific Invitational Monday Oct. 14 - Wednesday Oct.16 All Day Stockton, CA

USD MSOC vs Santa Clara Thursday, Oct 17 7 p.m.

San Diego, CA

USD WSOC vs Portland Friday, Oct. 18 7 p.m.

San Diego, CA

USD MFB vs Marist Saturday, Oct. 19 2 p.m.

San Diego, CA

ROWING Head of American Regatta Saturday, Oct 26 All Day Sacremento, CA

USD MFB at ST. Thomas Saturday, Oct. 26 10 a.m.

St. Paul, MN