Thanksgiving at the University of San Diego is anything but ordinary.
While some may envision the quintessential Thanksgiving as a feast of perfectly roasted turkey and pumpkin pie with a side of awkward small talk, USD students bring their own refreshing twist to this classic narrative.
Although Thanksgiving has been celebrated for over 400 years, USD students have found their own unique ways to celebrate the holiday.
Thanksgiving traces its origins to a harvest celebration held by the Wampanoag Native Americans. The original feast featured turkey, geese, seafood and a variety of vegetables.
When the Pilgrims settled in Plymouth, the Wampanoag generously shared their harvest as a way to ensure mutual protection between the Native Americans and settlers, unexpectedly creating a gathering that has come to symbolize gratitude. While the history of Thanksgiving
“The Wolves,” a play written by Sarah DeLappe and directed by USD professor Lisa Berger, will have its opening night on Nov. 21 at USD in the Sacred Heart Hall, Studio Theatre and will continue showing until Nov. 24. “The Wolves” follows nine teenage girls, who are part of an indoor soccer team. As the teammates warm up in sync for their game, a symphony of overlapping dialogue spills out their concerns, including menstruation, their coach’s wellbeing, eating disorders, sexual pressure and the new girl. By the end of the season and play, amidst the wins and losses and the rivalries and tragedies, they are warriors, tested and ready.
“It’s a one-act,” Director Lisa Berger said. “Meaning that it does not have an intermission.
It’s a story about an all femalepresenting soccer team in a
Cast of ‘The Wolves’ rehearses scenes prior to opening night.
Jason Wu/The USD Vista
Thanksgiving traditions vary amongst different families, with some opting for more traditional meals including turkey and cranberry sauce.
Photo courtesy
Students visit the bright blue waves Bioluminescence is back in San Diego
San Diego’s electric blue waves recently returned, attracting tourists and USD students alike to the coastlines. The natural phenomenon, known as bioluminescence, can be seen at night at popular beaches such as Scripps, Pacific and Black’s beaches. The rare sight mainly occurs in the spring and early fall, however, this year the marine marvel happened once again in November. People from across the country flocked to the Southern California coast to watch the bioluminescence in action. USD students had a front row seat to the sea sensation, with many Toreros trekking to the shores to view the bioluminescence.
Last week, USD first-year Devina Shrestha went to go watch the bioluminescent waves at Scripps Beach.
“The bioluminescence was super cool to see,” Shrestha said. “It’s always been a bucket list thing for me, so I was really excited to see it. It took a while to see it super bright because you have to wait for a big wave, but that almost made it more fun. It was almost like looking for shooting stars in the night sky.”
USD first-year Sofia Peck also trekked to the beach to see the bright blue waves.
“Watching the bioluminescence was one of my favorite things I’ve done so far in San Diego,” Peck shared. “It was super fun going to see it with my friends and we all sat on the beach to watch it. It was so exciting because not all of the waves would be blue so we would try to spot them before they came.”
The natural wonder is caused by the emission of light from algae in the ocean. In the daylight, these microscopic organisms produce a red hue, giving name to the “red tides” which precurse the bioluminescent waves. USD senior and biology student Sophie Meckstroth explained how bioluminescence occurs. Meckstroth conducted research on marine ecology and on plankton concentration in Southern California.
“Bioluminescence is a natural phenomenon where organisms like algae and plankton produce light through a reaction involving the enzyme luciferin,” Meckstroth
The USD Vista
explained. “In Southern California, this glow is often caused by dinoflagellate plankton, which emit neon blue light when disturbed, such as by crashing waves. These events are typically linked to ‘red tides,’ where dense plankton blooms turn the water red or brown during the day and luminous at night.”
Bioluminescence can last anywhere from a day to a few weeks depending on the amount of algae found in the water. However, due to its unpredictable nature, some USD students urge others to catch the rarity while it is still present.
USD first-year Leila Usami encouraged those in the USD community to visit the waves before they subside.
“I would overall recommend this to others because you can be able to say you saw the bioluminescence, which is really cool,” Usami said. “Also, experiencing it in real time is so different than seeing it online. Although it looks much brighter online, the ambiance of it all makes it so much better.”
Peck also had the chance to see bioluminescence in action.
“Although it was definitely more evident in the photos than it was in real life, I would still recommend going,” Peck shared. “The vibes were still really fun and it can be a unique activity to do, it’s also super accessible for a lot of people. The only thing I would say is to plan on spending a bit of time at the beach as the waves are not that easy to spot. We set up blankets and brought snacks with a speaker and stargazed for a bit as well.”
Students agreed that the bioluminescence isn’t quite as vivid in person as it is in pictures, with Shrestha echoing similar sentiments.
“It definitely wasn’t as bright as the photos, but I would definitely still recommend [viewing the bioluminescence],” Shrestha explained. “You just had to wait and watch for a big wave to hit to see the blue!”
As of The USD Vista’s production date of Nov. 19, bioluminescence continued to light up the coastline. Yet, San Diegans have plenty of other opportunities to view the bioluminescence in the spring when the glowing waves quickly return to the sandy beaches of Southern California.
Gina Lew - Student Media Advisor
Marie Minnick - Operations Advisor
The bioluminescent waves can be seen at Scripps Beach.
Photo courtesy of @Scripps_Ocean/X
EMMA PIRHALA NEWS EDITOR
The electric blue hue is caused by a light reaction from plankton and algae.
Photo courtesy of @Xquesohueso/X
Bioluminescence usually occurs in the spring and early fall.
Photo courtesy of @Xquesohueso/X
JACKIE MARQUEZ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Crossword of the week:
Gobble gobble, Toreros
Down
1. These indigenous people were at the first Thanksgiving
2. On Thanksgiving, two people pull on opposite sides of a _____ in hopes of having their desires granted.
4. This sport is traditionally watched on Thanksgiving.
5. Seasonal gathering of crops
6. This department store’s parade takes place every Thanksgiving morning.
9. Americans do this at a Thanksgiving meal.
Across
3. This type of pie is a Thanksgiving staple.
7. Turkeys make this noise.
8. JFK was the first president to ____ a turkey.
10. Holiday taking place on the fourth Thursday in November
11. This Peanuts character has made the most appearances of any balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.
12. As a college student, you may still be stuck at this table for Thanksgiving dinner.
13. This president proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday.
14. This bird was surprisingly not eaten at the first Thanksgiving.
Most Toreros are thankful for some well-deserved time off.
Jackie Marquez/The USD Vista
ARTS & CULTURE
DJ X or DJ ex? Students share whether they want to breakup or stick with AI in music
ELLIE SKJERSAA ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
In the last year, Artificial Intelligence has entered the world with speed and stealth, covertly inching its way into our everyday lives. Industry by industry, it has become a controversial tool admired for its efficiency and productivity in the work force and in creative pursuits. One unexpected place it has rooted itself in is music streaming services, specifically Spotify.
Personalized playlists such as “Daylist” and “Discover Weekly” are AI generated playlists that are created based on listening habits. They have become a popular and fun way to discover new music from your favorite artists or new artists as well. In February 2023, Spotify released their newest AI addition, DJ Xavier or “DJ X.” He, or it, acts as a radio station of sorts — curating music for the user, based on the genres and artists that they typically listen to. This can be a way to discover new music that drastically differs from the ways that previous generations have found their favorite albums and tunes. Some students explain that they enjoy the AI feature because it exposes them to artists they wouldn’t typically come across on their own.
“I actually do think it’s good,” USD senior Tristan Mischke said. “It’s really — at the end of the day — so personal, because it’s just what you like. I think there’s a lot of benefits of using AI because it shows people more music and maybe a more diverse portfolio. It definitely promotes lesser known bands because they can just end up on somebody’s playlist, and
I think that’s pretty cool.”
However, some students tend to stay away from the feature because it does not accurately represent the music they enjoy.
“I always feel like it didn’t really give me what I wanted,” USD sophomore Katherine Wronski said. “And so, I just prefer making my own playlists. I feel like it feels more rewarding when you discover stuff on your own.”
In the past, many people owned the same records, listened to the same radio stations and bonded over this shared experience. While this can still be true today, for some the wide variety of music on streaming services has made music a more individual experience rather than a collective one.
“I think [AI] is making [music] more individualistic and less of a social thing,” USD senior Elle White said. “It’s such a people mover, everybody loves it, it has been present for all of human history. It’s a love-filled process and it’s important to be intentional about it. It’s not something that an algorithm can create. You can’t predict people’s music interest based on an algorithm — it is a lived experience.”
Throughout time and across civilizations, music has had a constant hold over people. It possesses the powerful ability to bring communities together, to strengthen one’s identity and to elevate voices that deserve to be heard. Wronski sympathized with this and pointed out the importance of human creation over AI creation.
“I think that music is supposed to be about connecting with people,” Wronski said.
“I don’t think there’s any human connection in having a robot make a playlist for you or for another person on your behalf. I feel like because there’s no flaws in it and I feel like that’s what makes it human. [It’s] the little things. They might not necessarily go together, yet you make them because you like it that way, because our brains aren’t wired to like things the exact way they’re supposed to be.”
Spotify has recently released a new premium feature in which a user can describe the tone of a playlist they desire — for example, “a chilly winter
day by the fireplace” — and it will generate a personalized playlist. As an Apple Music user, White shared her thoughts on these Spotify advancements.
“I do find myself getting jealous of Spotify users because you guys get those daily mixes,” White said. “I feel like it’s nice to throw it on when you’re not necessarily or intentionally looking to find new music in that moment. But in other times, I appreciate music that I came in contact with myself or through my friends or in a natural way more than I would discovering it like that because I have memories associated with
it. I’m not ever going to think, ‘Aww I remember when DJ X recommended me this song.’”
For many, music is what marks moments and stages of their lives. For this reason, students like White find themselves seeking out music on their own accord. Regardless of what music streaming service one uses, for many, music is an important part of their life that seems to seep into their daily routine either purposefully or unexpectedly. USD sophomore Julianna Flores explained that she has subconsciously been surrounded by music for her entire life.
“I think it’s really interesting that music is quite literally everywhere that you go,” Flores said. “I think I notice more when there’s not music somewhere than when there is music. Literally all the time you’re listening to music and you don’t realize it and it’s such a building block of our society.”
Music has been such an integral part of human society. From mixtapes to playlists and records to wireless speakers, the advancement of technology has transformed the way we listen to music alongside it. With these new and foreign features entering the Spotify app, some students enjoy it for the artists it exposes them to, while others critique it for its contribution to the change in listening experiences. Through this shift, there is one thing that can be said with certainty: humans have constantly found ways to integrate music into their lives, regardless of the forms or advancements of technology.
Spotify’s controversial AI tool, DJ X, has become a popular feature that allows users to discover new music and to listen to songs they already love.
Photo courtesy of @eldsjal/X
The man, and the voice, behind DJ X is Xavier Jernigan, the head of cultural partnerships at Spotify. Photo courtesy
Behind the scenes of ‘The Wolves’ Student actors share their excitement
for the upcoming performance
From “The Wolves” Page 1 suburb outside of Chicago. It really is a coming-of-age story, and I would say some of the big things are the loss of innocence [and] how the loss of innocence is a rite of passage for a human being.”
Berger also mentioned that the importance of a collective is clearly the central point of the performance. The play tells the story of how the soccer team comes to realize that teamwork not only has great benefits, but it is also a necessity to overcome personal challenges. The production is immensely driven by the dialogue and the storytelling; the language used for certain scenes is what makes them stand out to the public.
“It is a character driven language play, about how people interact and process and relate to the world and the events around them,” Jacob Bruce, operations manager of the theater department, said. “The show is simply about people.”
The coordinators of the play mentioned that the storyline is intended to show the changes and challenges one has to overcome in everyday life. In some ways, the play can be relatable to the audience and aims to remind them of things they might have also experienced and struggled with. Because of the nature of the play, it is disclaimed that the
storyline contains heavy topics. USD sophomore and actress, Cat Nickoli explained the hardships her character undergoes.
“In ‘The Wolves’ I play #46,” Nickoli said. “#46 is the new girl
in the team. The timeline of the play centers around when she enters the team. My character basically is someone that does not understand white suburban culture and how out of place
she is. She really represents the experience of being in highschool as a new student and the situation of being excluded. The scenes of the play are focused on the moments the team has before having a match and the emotions that come with this, as well as how this affects the team’s dynamics and interactions.”
Due to the way the scenes play out, the dialogue overlaps a lot in this storyline, meaning that everyone in one scene is talking at the same time, hence the term “overlapping.” This is common when talking in a big group of people. Because of this, rehearsals were a crucial part in preparation for the performance. Overlapping dialogue is a very difficult thing to achieve and while this makes line memorization harder, it mimics the feelings and topics of the scenes that Nickoli mentioned in an audible way.
“[Overlapping dialogue] is definitely something that I have never done before,” USD senior Carys Lynch said. “We talk over each other the way you would in a crowded room full of middle school students. It’s been tough to work out the rhythm of it but once we got that done, and what words to accentuate, and just kind of how these things work out together, it became a very beautiful song. It’s so chaotic but you know exactly what is going on.”
The complexity of the dialogue and the relatable storyline make for an interesting combination. Opening night has been highly anticipated by the cast, especially because of the unknown response the audience might have. Now, after weeks of preparing, opening night is right around the corner.
“I’m most excited for what the reactions of the audience are going to be,” Nickoli said. “Because even in the rehearsal room when my character says something, there’s this reaction of ‘Oh my god, why did she say that?’ and I just want to see [how] the way we are portrayed in rehearsals carries out into the audience.”
Even though the performers have the audience in mind for opening night and they are excited to see the audience’s reactions, there’s also something else that makes opening night so special. Lynch mentioned that she is also excited to see how the cast has grown since the start of rehearsals and how their hard work has made it possible for the play to come together.
“I’m excited to see how we all hold under the pressure,” Lynch said. “Because it is very difficult learning all these new skills, the new soccer skills and different athletic moves. Also, having lines where you are supposed to go, say and do. I’m very excited to see how we band together and play off of each other.”
This all female-presenting cast will finally be making their way to the stage to tell the story of nine girls’ lives through experiences that the audience may be able to relate to.
“The Wolves” will take place at the Sacred Heart Hall Studio Theater this Thursday, Nov. 21 and will continue through the weekend. With the portrayal of sensitive topics and everyday routines, this production hopes to catch the community’s attention. Everyone’s highlights and expectations for the production are different, but they all show the hard work the theater department has put into this performance.
The cast of ‘The Wolves’ will have five performances between the days of Nov. 21 and Nov. 24. Photo courtesy of @usddeptoftheatre/Instagram
Student performers on the set of ‘The Wolves’ in the Sacred Heart Hall Studio Theater.
Jason Wu/The USD Vista
ARTS & FEATURE Traditions and travels
USD students share about their Thanksgiving
From Traditions, Page 1 has been retold and changed throughout generations. The national holiday has moved away from remembering the Pilgrims to instead celebrating the things that Americans are thankful for. Today, families across the country continue to adapt and reinterpret the holiday to suit their own traditions, and USD students are no exception.
Some students skip the traditional turkey dinner altogether, opting instead for a feast that’s as unique as it is tasty. USD senior Rose Seaver shared her family’s unconventional holiday tradition.
“My parents are really bad at cooking, so for every Thanksgiving, we order takeout,” Seaver said. “We normally just get Chinese food. It’s really fun because it isn’t traditional.”
While some students feast on takeout, others indulge in their native country’s cuisine. USD senior Santiago
Arenas explained how he spends the five day weekend.
“I am from Spain, so [my family and I] don’t really celebrate [Thanksgiving],”
Arenas said. “But I travel somewhere where we can all meet up and have a nice dinner and a nice time together. It is always good to see my family.”
For Arenas, the essence of Thanksgiving isn’t tied to the food on the table, but to the people around it, no matter where he is. Traveling is a common theme during the holidays. USD first-year Maeve Vollmer perfectly embodies this adventurous spirit.
“I’m an only child, and my parents and I usually don’t do Thanksgiving with the whole family,” Vollmer said. “We like to go on trips. Like this year, we are going to New Orleans. For us, Thanksgiving is spending time together as a family, and our home is wherever we are, not a physical place. One thing we don’t change
is we do make food. My dad is an amazing chef. One year in Spain, we accidentally bought a girl turkey which is about the size of your hand. He still made an amazing meal.”
Vollmer’s tradition redefines the concept of home. For her, Thanksgiving is about shared experiences, whether they’re exploring new places or savoring regional cuisine.
While Vollmer travels to wherever the wind takes her, USD sophomore Edie Rudisile has one destination in mind: the “happiest place on Earth.” Edie Rudisile shared her unique family tradition.
“We go to Disney World every year,” Rudisile said. “It’s always fun because not a lot of families are there, and we get to go on all the rides. I love spending it with my family. Disney’s food is good, and it’s just great to get into [the] Disney spirit around Thanksgiving. [Disney festivities] get you ready for Christmas.”
break
While most families are busy wrestling with gravy boats, Rudisile’s family is zipping through Space Mountain. However, some students prefer a more classic approach to the holiday. USD junior EmmaKate Squires shared her three day holiday tradition.
“I’m from Kansas, and Thanksgiving is always a big thing there,” Squires said. “It is a three-day celebration for us. The first day is a soup night with my extended family and second cousins. The second night is a proper Thanksgiving dinner, and we are together the whole day, including breakfast. The third day is the beginning of Christmas celebrations.”
Squires’ Thanksgiving blends time-honored rituals with a touch of Southern hospitality, making the holiday a true marathon of festivity. Christmas for the Squires even begins with the last slice of pumpkin pie.
Another pumpkin pie lover,
plans
USD sophomore Charles Jahn, looks forward to seeing the joy in his family’s faces during this beloved holiday. To him, the simple and long lasting traditions are the most fun.
“We usually have a tradition of breaking the wishbone for younger kids in our family,” Jahn said. “It is fun to look forward to near the end of our celebration. I also enjoy the classic desserts like pumpkin pie.”
Jahn enjoys the youthful spirit during holidays, while Vollmer and Rusidile look forward to traveling.
Thanksgiving at USD is not defined by any single tradition; instead, families indulge in a range of activities. From Chinese takeout to Disneyland, friends and families will be gathering to share gratitude and make memories this Thanksgiving-break. Being surrounded by the ones you love is the root of Thanksgiving, but the stuffing doesn’t hurt.
After a four-year hiatus through COVID19 and technical difficulties, USD Radio is back and better than ever with a whole new system for broadcasting! As a member of USD Radio, students get the chance to have their own DJ show to play their favorite music, write articles reviewing music, practice their podcasting skills and get involved in discussions about all things music during our general meetings. DJs get one hour a week on air and are selected based on experience with broadcasting, seniority in USD Radio, potential to improve the organization and their overall passion for music. Members must be present for DJ training and article-writing workshops, and are expected to attend most general meetings. Sign up next semester at the Alcala Bazaar! DJ applications open after the first meeting of the semester. We meet every Thursday at 1:30 pm in SLP 403B.
OPINION
Santa Clause isn’t in town yet
It’s too early to celebrate Christmas
ZOE ROGERS OPINION EDITOR
It’s about that time of the year where the excitement for the holidays starts to kick in. The weather gets cooler and we start to anticipate the approach of the holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. With that excitement, people are eager to celebrate Christmas. However, November is too early to begin Christmas festivities.
I was walking in Fashion Valley about two weeks ago, and, to my surprise, I saw a huge Christmas tree sparkling with lights and ornaments of various colors. I was completely thrown off because we hadn’t even entered the second week of November, and suddenly, Christmas trees were up. Similarly, in USD’s Knauss Business School, there are also numerous forms of Christmas decorations, including snowflakes. While these decorations help fuel the excitement for the coming holidays, and because they were installed immediately after Halloween, this premature
festive excitement for Christmas completely overpowers the enthusiasm for Thanksgiving.
The middle of November is too early to begin celebrating Chritsmas. Even though I do love the holiday and the joys that come with it, Dec. 25 is still more than a month away. With Thanksgiving happening toward the end of November, there’s no reason to begin the Christmas festivities before Thanksgiving has even happened. Additionally, beginning our celebration for Christmas at the start of December would prevent holiday burnout. Rushing into Christmas can take away from savoring the fall season and the holidays that come with it, such as Halloween and Thanksgiving. Because Christmas is in the winter, maintaining a strong eagerness and desire for the winter when it is currently fall prevents you from appreciating the season taking place right in front of you. Extending the Christmas celebration for too long can also make it less exciting and harder to appreciate if it lasts almost two months, especially when
listening to Christmas music. If you’re already celebrating Christmas for an extended period of time, you may feel completely over the holiday when Dec. 25 rolls around. Christmas music can easily become repetitive, and many people can get tired of it once the holiday season is finished.
I remember two years ago, I decided to get into the Christmas spirit a little earlier than usual. I put a small Christmas tree up in my room, began watching Christmas movies and started listening to holiday music. For a week or so, I felt excited for Christmas to come, and I was very eager for it to finally arrive. To my realization, I still had four more weeks till Christmas, and I had already been celebrating on my own for a little over a week. My enthusiasm declined as I realized not everyone around me had begun celebrating it yet, and I was in my own festive delusion about the holiday. Finally, when Christmas arrived, I was ready to get the whole holiday over with and I was grateful that I could successfully move on. I realized that the movies, music and decorations eventually get old, and if we’re not careful, when we begin celebrating, we can be over with the idea of Christmas before the holiday has even happened. Even though Christmas comes with a lot of joys, there are also some stressful components associated with the holiday. A significant aspect in the celebration of Christmas involves gift giving. This tradition in itself can be a recipe for stress for some people. Stress about how much money you’re spending, what to buy someone and making sure nobody feels left out are just a handful of reasons why Christmas gift giving can be overwhelming. Starting the holiday season in mid-November can prolong the stress associated with Christmas. By waiting until after Thanksgiving to celebrate, we could prevent
the stress of shopping and planning from infiltrating our lives sooner than it needs to.
Plus, Advent, a significant part of the Christian tradition in celebrating Christmas, begins four Sundays before Christmas. The roots of the Christmas holiday stem from the Christian religion. Celebrating the season early and getting caught up in other aspects of the holiday can take you away from Christmas’ true religious significance. Christmas is better celebrated when it is actually December. We still have a few weeks till winter break and a lot of exams to go. Celebrating this early can pose a distraction to us as students, especially if we are eager to get out of school. I know a handful of students who are planning on traveling home the weekend before Thanksgiving break, at the cost of skipping some classes; also, some professors are even canceling classes.
Although, people can choose whether or not they would want to celebrate Christmas early, or even at all. Christmas is a special holiday, and, if you choose to celebrate it, it’s important to savor its festivities and the joys that come with it. Celebrating Christmas too early can cause you to lose the enthusiasm for the holiday when Dec. 25 comes. The best time frame to actually begin celebrating Christmas is when it is four weeks away, as opposed to the middle of November when we haven’t even celebrated Thanksgiving. Rushing into a new season can cause you to fail to appreciate the season you’re in now. It’s important not to rush into a new holiday when you haven’t even celebrated the one occurring around you.
It’s important to not be too ambitious to celebrate Christmas and rush through Thanksgiving.
Photo courtesy of @Debby Hudson/Unsplash
Fashion Valley Mall started decorating for Christmas in early November.
Lara Dominique Solante/The USD Vista
OPINION
The summer travel experience
It’s better than semester study abroad
ALEX KUETER
ASST. OPINION EDITOR
Semester long study abroad programs are an incredibly popular choice for many undergraduate students here at USD. For a semester, students are able to travel to one of over 30 different countries around the world and can live with a host family or in dorms. For these USD students, tuition abroad is advertised as costing the same as regular tuition for a semester at USD, and any scholarship packages a student receives will apply to their tuition abroad.
This experience is most popular for first semester juniors, says the International Center, with some believing it to be a rite of passage for Toreros. It is often regarded by students who partake as the best semester of their undergraduate years, and many recommend it. However, traveling abroad for a semester can be difficult for people of lower socioeconomic status. This is usually due to additional costs associated with study abroad such as weekend trips, flights, food and more. Additionally, studying abroad can be less accessible to STEM students, who have less major related classes offered at the most popular universities abroad. Considering this, traveling on your own for a summer could be the perfect solution to both of these problems, and offers students an even more enriching opportunity.
Studying abroad is not cheap. Even though the cost of the university you attend will be the same price as your USD tuition, that price tag does not include meals or housing, which are much larger costs when abroad than one may think. But beyond that, one of the biggest financial draws to studying abroad is weekend trips. While not all students choose to participate, some enjoy traveling to nearby countries or cities on weekends or holidays to see more of what the country or continent they’re visiting has to offer. The prices of these trips vary and those that do travel say it is well worth the price, but there’s a better way to accomplish traveling around nearby countries.
Attending school full time at a university means you can only really travel on select weekends or holidays, and that your trips are restricted to only a few days. While that might be plenty of time to explore surrounding cities, I don’t believe it is long enough to actually explore new countries, or even other large cities. Cramming a week’s worth
of adventuring into two-day weekends and the week’s worth of homework on the train or plane ride there means cutting corners. There will definitely be large parts of the traveling you miss out on. Traveling on weekends also means you can’t be very selective of when you travel. You could be restricted to every other weekend due to your school schedule, meaning you may miss the best times to visit certain places.
Traveling on your own during summer break would avoid all of these problems. Because you are not tied to a school, you can choose to stay anywhere and choose to move around whenever. Cheaper lodging can often be found further from schools, which is a big advantage. Furthermore, you’d be entirely on your own schedule. You can spend however long you want in any given place and really experience what the country you’re visiting has to offer. Traveling on your own allows you to select cheaper dates for travel rather than just packed weekends, further saving money and allowing you to have a more tailored experience.
Study abroad also tends to be very rigid. While all students are welcome to study abroad, some
have an easier time than others accomplishing it. STEM students often struggle to find universities that offer their courses in a language they can understand. This is generally less of an issue for liberal arts students, but they may also find themselves facing issues as well. This leads many who travel to take the bulk of their core curriculum classes during that time. While this seems like a good workaround, taking only core classes for a semester can have a detrimental effect on learning progress, especially for STEM students. If you have to take a semester off from all sciences and then throw yourself back into chemistry eight months later, it may be difficult to pick up where you left off. Sciences build on the skills of the previous class, so leaving them for so long could lead students to forget and struggle to pick key concepts back up.
The issue of weekend trips also comes up again with academics. If you spend every weekend traveling or exploring your local city, you have almost no time to invest in academics and studying. Even if you try to keep up, homework can be the last thing on your mind
Photo courtesy of @usdstudyabroad/Instagram
when traveling. By traveling on your own during a break, you completely eliminate this problem. You are able to travel and adventure with no academic concern and can pick back up with school as soon as the next semester starts again.
While I believe that there are better alternatives to studying abroad for a semester, there are some major advantages to studying abroad. All students are helped with finding housing and have a local, builtin community of other USD students at the university they go to. Traveling alone can get both lonely and dangerous, so having people from USD to go with you can be really helpful.
Furthermore, studying abroad is a great way to immerse yourself in the local culture as a student rather than just a tourist. While studying abroad has the advantage of the USD community, there are all sorts of different communities that would be available in the summer, like hometown friends, USD friends, family and others. Traveling in the summer would allow you to choose friends who you can go with that may not otherwise have been able to
travel. There are also countless websites, blogs and influencers who share tips, travel advice and more for people who want to see the world. You also have to figure out how to travel on your own eventually, so exploring for a summer would be a good chance to do so. Post college, you won’t have those resources to help you, so learning sooner than later is a good idea. Studying abroad is a great experience for many people, but it does have its drawbacks. The programs are limited for people with STEM majors, can be very expensive and may not offer you time to travel as much as you want. A broadened world perspective is always a good thing. But looking at the costbenefit of a semester abroad shows that a traveling summer can be better worth your while. Not only can you choose who you travel with and where, but it offers you a chance to take your time and enjoy more of the destinations that appeal to you. By traveling on your own, you can spend however long you want in any country you’d like, traveling through as you see fit without worrying about your English paper due on Monday.
Traveling on your own provides a more flexible experience than a study abroad program.
Women’s basketball is
off to a
strong start Toreros win first two games to kick-start the season
LUKAS BLANKENSTEIN CONTRIBUTOR
USD women’s basketball started off strong by winning their first two games of the season. The wins against Biola University and Weber State University are big victories for the team, which only has five returning members on the 14-player team. The team’s victory also included the 400th career coaching win for coach Cindy Fisher. According to USD junior and forward, Courtney Wristen, this start to the season is important in order to help the new team bond.
“Since we have a brand-new team with only five returning players and a large number of new players, the expectations going into the season were really to establish chemistry as soon as possible,” Wristen said. “Knowing this gave us confidence in our readiness and made us want to work as a team. We most certainly wanted to lay a solid foundation early on for the remainder of the season.”
The Toreros will be looking to bounce back after a rough season last spring where the team finished 9-22 and dropped to second to last place in the conference with only four wins against conference foes. This season, the team will also need to move on without a number of key contributors, including one of last season’s guards, Veronica Sheffey. Sheffey led the team in points with 12.2 points per game, assists with 5.1 assists per game and steals
with 1.5 steals per game before transferring to San Diego State. In addition, former forward Kasey Neubert, who averaged close to double digit stats in two categories, was the team’s third highest scorer (10.3) and the team’s leading rebounder (9.6) before graduating. Among the returning players, Kylie Horstmeyer is the only one to have started in more than 10 games, coming second in team scoring in the process (10.3). The West Coast Conference preseason poll has predicted the Toreros to finish ninth out of 11 teams in the conference this season. Their first game of the season was against Biola at the Jenny Craig Pavilion (JCP). The Toreros came away with a dominant 75-30 victory against the Biola Eagles. USD graduate student and guard Ava Ranson led the team during the game with 14 points. USD senior forward Truitt Reilly was also a key contributor, coming second in team scoring with 12 points and leading the team with seven rebounds. Both Ranson and Reilly made their Torero debut at the game after transferring from California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) this semester. Last season, CSUSM made it to the Final Four of the 2024 Division 2 NCAA tournament. Their game on the road in Utah against Weber State was a much closer match, with the Toreros scraping by with a 6663 win. Reilly once again proved instrumental to the team’s
victory, leading the team with nine rebounds and scoring 12 points, to go along with a team leading four blocks on defense. Horstmeyer also led both teams
in scoring with 15 points, while picking up five rebounds.
However, the hero of the game against Webber was USD junior guard Hallie Rhodes. Rhodes, who transferred from Morehead State with her twin sister Jayden Rhodes this semester, came off the bench to score 10 points, including the layup that allowed USD to take a 64-63 lead with only 36 seconds left.
This victory was also important for head coach Fisher, as it was her 400th career NCAA coaching win. Fisher has been the coach of the women’s basketball team since the 2005-06 season, making this her 19th season with the Toreros. She also coached the University of Wyoming for five seasons from 19982003. Wristen spoke on how her coach’s achievement and experience helped the team.
“It is important to have a coach with coach Fisher’s experience,” Wristen said. “Reaching her 400th career win inspires us to strive for success every day, which reflects her love and dedication for the game.”
The aspects of the game that have allowed USD to win their first two games has been their bench scoring and work on the fast break. Bench scoring is scoring that comes from the players who did not start
the game. The Toreros bench players have outscored their opponents 54-25, accounting for 38.3% of the Toreros points. This scoring from the bench shows the depth of the Toreros, as they don’t rely too heavily on their starters and stars to generate offense, instead having a more well rounded team.
Another important factor for the Toreros success has been their work on the fast break. A fast break is when an offensive team attempts to move the ball quickly up the court after a change in possession, often resulting in easy points as the defensive team struggles to get back into position. The Toreros’ have been dominant on the fast break, outscoring their opponents 43-1. The Toreros prowess on the fast break allows them to push the tempo of the game and punish opponents for careless turnovers. In addition, only allowing one point from fast breaks shows a team that is always hustling to get back on defense after every turnover to prevent easy buckets. USD will be looking to continue their successful start of the season on Nov. 19 against University of Nevada, Las Vegas. As the season goes on, the Toreros hope to continue their success and have their bench unit make strong impact.
USD women’s basketball pictured celebrating each other after beating Biola University 75-30. Photo courtesy of @usdwbb/Instagram
USD junior No. 20 Hallie Rhodes goes up for a shot during the game against Chapman University.
Photo courtesy of @usdwbb/Instagram
PRIYA COOPER SPORTS EDITOR
USD club sports are a big part of Campus Recreation and provide opportunities for students to experience the commitment, challenge and enjoyment of a competitive or recreational sports experience without the pressures of playing at a D1 level. The teams are initiated by students and are organized by coaches with all levels of training and expertise.
All of the club sports at USD differ in size, season and playing ability, with some clubs that compete at a high level and others that play for recreation and fun. USD covers sports through club registration from soccer to sailing, climbing, jiu jitsu, baseball and so much more. Many of the clubs only compete for fun while others, like club rugby, have gone on to win national championships.
Many students look for a sense of community when joining club sports. USD junior and captain of the men’s club frisbee team, Lucca Sebastiani, shared his reasons for joining.
“The camaraderie of the team was advertised heavily and I wanted a way to exercise and find a group to hang out with,” Sebastiani said.
All of the clubs at USD have a ranging level of commitment and participation. Sebastiani
expressed how balancing academics and sports can be challenging, so understanding the time commitment is key.
“We practice three days a week for two hours each day, and we have tournaments every other weekend towards the end of the season,” Sebastiani said. “I think my favorite memory with the team was when we beat UCLA in the spring of my freshman year!”
For many students, joining a club sport team is about continuing a lifelong passion and being able to continue their sport from high school. USD sophomore and women’s club soccer player, Aiofe Gish, explained how many students join club sports because it is something they have been practicing their whole life and they want to continue playing without having to commit to college simply for athletic purposes.
“I grew up playing soccer competitively since the age of five and knew that I wanted to have a similarly competitive, yet fun environment in college,” Gish said. “The high-level soccer and welcoming environment incentivized and motivated me to join club soccer.”
Sports clubs often provide opportunities to create unique and cherished memories.
Aiofe fondly recalled a special moment with her team.
“My favorite team memory
is going to Isla Vista at the annual [University of California Santa Barbara] tournament and enjoying Blenders smoothies with the team,” Gish said. In addition to the sports
being entertaining, there are many other advantages that players reap from participating, such as establishing lifelong connections and getting in some quality exercise.
“There are so many benefits of playing a club sport at USD,” Aiofe said. First, club sports allow you to make new friends outside of classes, housing and Panhellenic life. Also, club sports allow you to continue to improve as a player all while maintaining the love of your sport in a balanced way.”
USD junior and men’s lacrosse player Patrick Riley Oberton explained how the advantages of participating in club sports go beyond the field or court.
“I play for the school’s lacrosse team, and I’m one of the goalies,” Oberton said. “I think the benefits of joining a club team is this, the connections you make with everyone and the friendships you make with everyone.”
USD’s club sports offer students a unique blend of competition, recreation and community. Whether playing to win national championships or simply for the love of the game, these teams provide a space for students to stay active, pursue lifelong passions and create lasting memories. Club sports at USD not only promote physical health, but they also foster deep friendships and valuable life skills.
Before the Valley Field was removed to make space for the Wellness Center’s construction, club teams played there. Photo courtesy
USD club frisbee takes to the field for a competition. Photo
