Volume 61 Issue 11

On newsstands weekly

Volume 61 Issue 11

Thursday, December 7, 2023

THE USD VISTA VISTA

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

In the 2024 presidential election: Who would USD vote for?

ANJALI DALAL-WHELAN NEWS EDITOR Although the California Primary will take place in around three months, some Toreros have already started making decisions on who they support for president in the 2024 election. The USD Vista conducted a poll on the social media app “Fizz,” which requires users to have a USD email account. The poll asked users, “If the 2024 presidential election was held today (12/3/23), who would you vote for?” With 2,920 votes cast, the top results were Donald Trump, who got 29% and “Other” which gained 27% of the vote as of Dec 5.

Some USD students weighed in on who they were considering supporting in the election.

USD sophomore Jordan Bayon commented that he wasn’t very interested in Democratic or Republican candidates, and said he was considering voting for a third-party candidate.

“Something I’ve been considering is looking at the independent option,” Bayon said.

“I saw Cornel West was running which is interesting, because I’m interested in philosophy and that’s someone we’ve studied a little bit.

USD Votes members teaching students how to register to vote at the Alcalá Bazaar.

So I feel like it’s interesting to see lesser-known political figures that are also in the running.”

Other students said they weren’t sure who they were planning to support yet. USD

Photo courtesy of Iesha Brown

first-year Siena Pugay expressed that she hadn’t chosen a candidate but explained what

qualities she would look for when deciding who to support.

“Something that is really important to me is a leader’s morals and how they carry themselves and what their thoughts are on specific communities, especially communities that are underrepresented like minorities,” Pugay said.

Undecided votes still have time to make up their minds, the primary election is just under three months from now. The California primary election will occur on March 5, 2024, known as “Super Tuesday,” when 13 states nominate delegates to go to their party’s convention. Six Republicans are still running for the Republican nomination, while three are competing for the Democratic nomination.

The Republican National Convention (RNC) will take place July 15-18 of 2024 while the Democratic National Convention (DNC) will be Aug. 19-22, 2024. The national conventions determine the candidates who will be representing the Republican and Democratic parties for the presidential election.

Dr. Casey Dominguez, the chair of the USD Political

See candidates, Page 2

Dr. Nicole Whitner: beyond the Dean

INSIDE

The importance of family and being unapologetically you DYLAN WADE-PARHAM CONTRIBUTOR

Whitner is the Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students at USD. Photo Courtesy of Nicole Whitner

Sitting in her cozy office decorated with African-American memorabilia is Dr. Nicole Whitner: daughter, dean, advisor, friend and an unapologetic Black woman. Her passion for helping others and mentoring students is what makes her who she is.

Now in her second year as the Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students at the University of San Diego, Dr. Whitner guides students into having a successful college experience.

She recalled her past, her experience at the University of San Diego, growing up Black and being an only child who was raised by a single mother and grandmother.

Whitner describes the bond she has with her family is unbreakable.

Whitner’s role at the University of San Diego is to be an administrative leader.

The Dean of Students oversees

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

@USDVista

areas such as Residential Life, Student Conduct and the Center for Student Success.

“I chair a few committees; one of the most important ones is the committee that helps coordinate support for students who are facing challenges,” Whitner said.

“It is composed of a number of campus partners from all over.

Folks would be able to either speak to or actually engage in supporting students who might be struggling for various reasons: academic reasons, they might be homesick and trying to adjust or they might have financial aid challenges they are not sure how to get to.”

She also mentioned that part of her role here at USD is to be an advocate for the student experience.

“I’m an administrative leader; my role whenever I’m in leadership spaces or other campus-wide spaces is to be able to speak to what students are experiencing and what

Fentanyl-laced letters

See Whitner, Page 8

@theusdvista

theusdvista.com

See News, page 2

New year’s resolutions See A&C, page 3

International students See Feature, page 6

Santa isn’t real See Opinion, page 10

More than sports stats See Sports, page 12

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December 7, 2023

NEWS

2024 presidential race gains momentum Candidates vie for Republican and Democratic nominations

From candidates, Page 1

Science department, leads the club USD Votes.

“It is important that young people who are receiving a privileged liberal arts education participate in the democracy in which they live,” Dominguez explained.

The goal of USD Votes “is to get every eligible USD student to exercise their right to vote.”

The Republican primary race has already been contentious.

Three debates were hosted as of Dec. 3 by the RNC, with the fourth debate planned for Dec 6.

Former President Donald Trump declined to attend all debates this year. In the third GOP debate, five Republican candidates met the qualifications to attend, which according to CNN requires candidates to register over 4% of support in polls and have a sufficient number of donors.

Donald Trump is the favored Republican candidate in the polls. Former President Trump is attempting to reclaim his presidency, while continuing to deny the results of the 2020 election and his defeat by Joe Biden. Trump has been indicted in four criminal cases this year, in charges related to classified documents, Jan. 6, 2021, Georgia election interference and hush money. According to his campaign website, if re-elected, Trump would focus on tax cuts, securing the border and undoing changes made by President Biden.

The other five candidates

who qualified for the third RNC debate have each amassed supporters in their opposition to Trump, but none have as large of a following as the former president, who according to a poll by FiveThirtyEight, has the support of 58.3% of surveyed Republican primary voters.

Senator Tim Scott participated in the third debate but dropped out of the election days after.

The following Republican candidates are listed in order of their popularity in FiveThirtyEight’s poll, as of Dec 4.

Ron DeSantis is the governor of Florida. According to the BBC, he is most known for fighting “culture wars” in Florida against private companies like Disney and attempting to ban discussion about sex and gender in schools.

Nikki Haley is the former governor of South Carolina; she served as a U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under Trump’s presidency, where she butted heads with Chinese and Russian interests, who she called an “axis of evil.”

Vivek Ramaswamy is a biotech entrepreneur, not a career politician. At 38 years old, he is the youngest candidate and a selfmade billionaire, according to Forbes. Ramaswamy’s campaign focuses on combating “woke” ideology and “secular religions.”

Chris Christie is the former governor of New Jersey; he ran in the 2016 GOP primary against Trump, and has since become a sharp critic of Trump’s election

denial, calling him a “certified loser, a verified coward,” for skipping the first debate.

The Democratic party has less competition this primary election, with only three candidates having announced their candidacy.

Primarily, this is because the incumbent President, Joe Biden, is eligible for a second term.

President Joe Biden has a strong lead among Democrat candidates. According to the FiveThirtyEight poll, 65% of surveyed Democrats back Biden for a second term.

Marianne Williamson holds the support of 7% of polled Democrats. She is the author of spiritual and self-help books, and previously ran for president in 2020, arguing for a more proactive “healthcare” system, instead of a “sickness-care” system.

Dean Phillips ​​is a representative from Minnesota.

According to USA Today, he has moderate views and if elected would attempt to build bridges between the Democratic and Republican parties.

According to the White House’s website, since 1850 every president of the U.S. has come from either the Republican or Democratic party. However, this does not stop some candidates from running independently every election cycle, including: Robert F. Kennedy Jr is the son of former politician Robert F. Kennedy. He was previously running for the Democratic nomination, but

The USD Vista conducted a election poll on the social media app ‘Fizz’.

Colin Mullaney/The USD Vista

in October announced he was running independently. RFK Jr was previously banned from Instagram and YouTube for allegedly spreading misinformation about vaccines and COVID-19.

Cornel West is a leftwing professor of philosophy at Union Theological Seminary, he previously worked at Harvard and Princeton. According to the New York Times, he is known for his political activism and criticism of President Obama.

Jill Stein is running for

president for the third time.

She is seeking the Green Party’s nomination. The Green Party is a left-wing party which values environmentalism and social justice according to the party’s website.

While the party nominations will not be decided until next summer at the party conventions, the end of 2023 is an important time for candidates to begin their campaigns and for U.S. citizens to form their opinions before voting in primary elections like California’s on March 5.

Fentanyl-laced letters sent to election workers USD students and faculty share their fears about the rise of fentanyl

RITI DEY ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Following the contentious 2020 presidential elections, polling sites around the nation began preparing for unprecedented stressors during the upcoming presidential election season. According to the New York Times, anonymous political agitators have used anthrax scares, which were disease-contaminated letters, threats of violence and countless other harmful tactics against election workers over the last decade.

This November, fentanyl-laced letters containing messages calling to “end elections now” were sent anonymously to election offices in Washington state, Oregon, Nevada, California and Georgia, with no clear indication as to where they were coming from.

According to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, “fentanyl is a potent, synthetic opioid drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as an analgesic (pain relief) and anesthetic. It is approximately

100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin as an analgesic.” The number of fentanyl-related deaths have tripled over the last seven years.

The threatening, fentanyllaced envelopes are a new source of tension and fear in regard to the upcoming election cycle. The BBC stated that Fulton County in Georgia has been anticipating a rise in threats following the 2020 election, when former President Donald Trump claimed that the county committed widespread ballot fraud. Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts explained how there are “people out there who want to do harm to our workers and disrupt, interrupt, the flow of democracy.”

Pitts added that officials have been preparing for the 2024 election, which would be the “focal point” of scrutiny for election workers.

“This [November election of 2023] was a good trial run for us,” he said to the BBC. The National Association of Election Officials also expected similar challenges would come up for the 2024 election cycle, noticing a drop in election workers since the last election.

The New York Times reported

that “the coming election year will impose greater strains than in any of the past,” citing the turnover in election jobs over the past year. “Turnover in election jobs doubled over the past year,” the report stated. “Nearly onethird of election officials said that they knew someone who had left an election post, at least in part because of fears over safety.”

Dr. Jennifer Wenzel, professor of psychology at USD, previously worked at the National Institute on Drug Abuse as a Health Scientist Administrator. She explained her thoughts on this issue.

“It’s clear that overdose fatalities resulting from the use of synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, are growing rapidly,” Wenzel said. “Data from the National Center for Health Statistics at the CDC show that overdose deaths from synthetic opioids almost doubled from 2019-2021.

And CDC data show that fentanyl overdose has become the leading killer of adults 18-45, outpacing auto accidents, gun violence, heart disease and COVID.” USD first-year Madelyn Tobin discussed her initial reaction to hearing about this issue.

“I heard about this happening

at election sites, and I was just confused as to why someone would do that,” Tobin said.

USD first-year Katherine Wronski also shared her reaction to the threat of fentanyl in election offices. “I think it’s a big concern and more people should know about it,” Wronski said.

“I was aware of the growing abundance of fentanyl in drugs, but I was unaware that it was being used as a sort of weapon.”

In reference to the election officials, Wenzel shared her concerns.

“Briefly touching fentanyl powder is not likely to cause an overdose, and overdose by accidental exposure is extremely rare,” Wenzel explained. “That being said, this is still an act of terrorism, and election workers deserve to not be afraid for their health at work.”

Election sites are now preparing to fight these fentanyl threats. According to Fox 35 Orlando, workers in the counties affected are being equipped with NARCAN, a nasal spray that treats fentanyl overdoses in emergency situations. While election sites take this initiative, students and faculty wonder if these initiatives should take

place on campus as well, due to the rise of this drug nationwide.

While fentanyl may be a new fear for these election workers, the increase of fentanyl nationwide is already a concern for college students, since it can be easily laced into other, more commonly used drugs, too.

According to the CDC, “fentanyl was involved in the vast majority of teen overdose deaths in 2021.” “[Professors] are not trained [to use NARCAN], but we should be,” Wenzel shared. “And students at USD should have access to free naloxone and the option of attending free training on how to use naloxone on campus. Being prepared and carrying naloxone would empower USD students, faculty and staff to save lives, not only on our campus but in the San Diego community.”

USD Public Safety rolled out distribution of NARCAN earlier this semester, and trained students on administering naloxone on campus. While election officials train how to combat these issues in their offices, the extent to which these anonymous threats will continue is unknown.

Volume 61 Issue 11

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ARTS & CULTURE

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The USD Vista

A RT S & C U LT U R E

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‘The Boy and the Heron’

A new and monumental release from Studio Ghibli MARIA SIMPSON COPY EDITOR This holiday season, Studio Ghibli is releasing a new film titled “The Boy and the Heron.” Set to officially release in theaters across the U.S. on Dec. 8, the movie holds significance for Ghibli fans and for the team behind the movie.

Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio founded in 1985. Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata — both directors — and producer Toshio Suzuki were the three founders of the studio. At least one of them has worked on every Ghibli movie released since the studio’s establishment. In Sept.

2013, Miyazaki announced his retirement at a press conference.

“I know I’ve said I would retire many times in the past.

Many of you must think, ‘Once again.’ But this time I am quite serious,” Miyazaki said.

His departure shook the studio, leaving many uncertain that it could live on in his absence. That absence, however, did not last long — contrary to Miyazaki’s statement. In 2017 Suzuki announced that he would, once again, exit retirement to work on a new feature film,

The official poster for ‘The Boy and the Heron’ set to release in theaters on Dec. 8 in the U.S. Photo courtesy @theboyandtheheronfilm/Instagram

“The Boy and the Heron.”

“The Boy and the Heron,” titled “Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka” (or “How Do You Live?”) in Japan, is described as a semiautobiographical film, inspired

by Miyazaki’s early childhood years growing up during World War II in the Asia-Pacific theater. The film follows a young boy named Mahito, who finds his way into a strange new world, after meeting a talking heron.

The film was released earlier

in 2023 in Japan, with almost no marketing leading up to its July release date — save one poster with few hints as to what the movie would be about. Since “The Boy and the Heron” is potentially Miyazaki’s last film, the film’s minimal marketing seems to be intentional, according to Collider, an online entertainment publication.

“This wasn’t a reflection of a marketing campaign failing to get the word out about the

movie’s arrival, but rather an intentional part of how Studio Ghibli wanted the film to go out.”

The vague and mysterious marketing seems to have paid off, as the film has already grossed $83.2 million, as of Nov. 30, according to Animation Magazine. In fact, according to Screen Daily, its opening weekend set a new record for Miyazaki, as the biggest opening weekend for one of his films.

This shows that audiences

were hungering for another Miyazaki film after a 10-year lull. With its global release to come, one can only expect the numbers to soar upward.

It is no stretch to say that success for “The Boy and the Heron” was hoped for by its creators. According to Screen Daily, the 2023 Ghibli film is “the most expensive Japanese film ever made.” Budget was not the only obstacle that the movie faced either. “The Boy and the Heron” has supposedly been in the works since 2016. It was originally set to release in 2020, but due to challenges with COVID-19 and the choice to hand-draw the animation, it has been roughly seven years in the making.

Studio Ghibli fans are excited to see the product that has been in development so long and to witness another one of Miyazaki’s creations. It will be left to see if it reaches the long-term success and popularity of his past films such as “Spirited Away” (2001) and “My Neighbor Totoro” (1988).

Either way, the hand-drawn spectacle, the impressive English voice cast (including Christian Bale, Robert Pattinson and Florence Pugh among others), and the writing and direction of Hayao Miyazaki will continue to draw audiences to the theater.

‘New year, new me?’

Keep your goals this New Year

NYLA HARRIS ASST. A&C EDITOR As 2024 approaches, there comes the desire for many to enter the fresh year with new goals, a new mindset and new resolutions. The typical ‘New Year’s resolution’ is a tradition in which a person resolves to change a bad habit, accomplish a personal goal, or otherwise generally better themselves at the beginning of the calendar year.

Maintaining these resolutions is based on a combination of personal discipline, self-control, motivation and incentive. USD senior Tessa Daroza creates New Year’s resolutions annually and discusses the effect incentive has on her completing her goals.

“My dad makes me make them [New Year’s resolutions] every single year. I have to set at least 10 realistic, attainable goals that can be in any aspect of my life, like school, creatively, career, lifestyle and so on,” Daroza said.

“My dad thinks setting goals is super important, and that it will help to motivate me. He gives me $20 for every goal I complete, so I really do try to complete them all, and usually do.”

However, as much as incentive plays a role in success,

the tendency of people to make these resolutions can be just as common as failing to keep them.

In a research study surveying 3,000 people completed by the University of Bristol, 88% of those who set New Year’s resolutions did not follow through with them, even though 52% of the participants were confident of their success at the beginning.

USD senior and former Feature Editor at The USD Vista Haley Jacob relies on structured goal setting to maintain her academic standing. However, she discusses the pitfall of New Year’s resolutions not coming to fruition and expresses her reasons for not partaking in them.

“Throughout the year I’m always trying to be better and push myself in different ways. But honestly, I feel like whenever I put too much pressure to make a big goal, which is what New Year’s resolutions can feel like, I don’t accomplish them, because I get stressed,” Jacob said. “Sometimes putting too much pressure on the label of ‘New Year’s resolution’ and not achieving them immediately can seem like a bad way to start the year, so throughout the year I always try to check on points of my social, personal and academic aspects of my life that I could be improving on.”

In a Forbes article, researchers found that it was necessary to have self-control to achieve these long-standing goals, but it must also be accompanied with deliberate action, prioritization and tolerance for discomfort.

One highly discussed suggestion is to link the new “trait” or desired “attribute,” to a new habit or lifestyle that can be implemented into daily tasks.

USD junior Aren Kotoyan studied abroad in Madrid, Spain during the Spring 2023 semester, and wanted to create a New Year’s resolution in correspondence to his drastic change in lifestyle of living in another country.

“As an international business major studying in Madrid, I really wanted to get better at Spanish. So, when I was there, I tried fully immersing myself in the language,” Kotoyan said.

“It was sick, because I ended up getting pretty good at it. Now I actually want to live there [Madrid, Spain], so carrying that out is going to be one of my future New Year’s resolutions.”

When making these New Year’s resolutions, keeping the big picture in mind can make a difference in whether one keeps the promise they made to themselves or not. So, it’s recommended to do a little

Set realistic goals that will help better your future in the coming year.

Photo courtesy of @bellaalins/Instagram

bit everyday toward the goals you’re setting and to reward yourself for any steps you are taking toward your longer-term vision. Through the discomfort of these daily habit changes can

come resilience and growth, giving strength and motivation to set new, bigger goals. One thing can lead to another and who knows, by next year, you really could be a new you.

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A RT S & C U LT U R E

Faker and Team T1 clinch a record 4th title Esports’ ‘Michael Jordan’ wins 4th world championship

LUKAS BLANKENSTEIN ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

League of Legends recently crowned the winner for its highly-anticipated 12th World Championship on Nov. 19.

According to Esportscharts. com, a statistics website that covers various esports viewing figures, this year’s League Worlds became the most watched Esports event of all time, with a peak viewership of 6.4 million viewers, beating last year’s world championships, which had 5.1 million viewers, and the previous record holder, the 2021 Singapore World Series of Free Fire, which had a peak viewership of 5.4 million viewers (all numbers exclude Chinese platforms).

League of Legends is a popular, Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, or MOBA, that consists of teams of five. The goal of the game is to destroy the opponent’s nexus, which is located on the opposite side of the map. Teams start out by picking the character, or champion, that they wish to play as for the match.

Each team member has their own separate job and occupies their own zone, which are the top, middle, and bottom lanes, as well as the jungle. The final player is the support player, who goes

where he is needed to support his teammates. Games usually last anywhere from 30-45 minutes long, and the first team to destroy their opponent’s nexus wins. In tournaments, games are best of five, first to win three matches.

Korean team T1 was able to defeat Team Weibo Gaming (WBG) from China in a 3-0 sweep.

The Korean team won the finals in front of a home crowd, as the finals were hosted in the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea.

With this victory, team T1 cemented its legacy as the most dominant League of Legends in the 12 years that League of Legends has hosted World Championships, picking up their fourth world title, the most of any team. It is also the team’s first championship in seven years, as the last one T1 won was in 2016.

T1’s victory was also important for their star player, Faker. Lee Sang-hyeok, better known by his in-game name, Faker, has been dominating the game since he debuted at age 17 in 2013, picking up three other world championships in 2013, 2015 and 2016. The Korean mid-laner has spent his entire career with team T1. In a 2022 interview for the popular sports website, The Athletic, the global head of League of Legends Esports, Naz Alethaha, spoke on Faker’s impact on the sport.

The members of T1 hold up their trophy.

Photo courtesy of @leagueoflegends/Instagram

The USD Vista Colin Mullaney - Editor-in-Chief Abigail Cavizo - Associate Editor Spencer Bispham - Managing Editor Maria Simpson - Copy Editor Khushi Patel - Art Director Anjali Dalal-Whelan - News Editor Jackie Marquez - Opinion Editor

T1 is the 2023 World Champions for Leauge of Legends, a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena.

Photo courtesy of @lolesports/Instagram

“He is absolutely the GOAT. [greatest of all time] He’s just a complete icon. He is our Michael Jordan,” Alethana said, referring to iconic basketball player Michael Jordan, considered to be the greatest of all time to many fans.

By winning his fourth championship, Faker now holds the record for the most world championships in League history.

USD sophomore Anson Chen talked about what a fourth title meant for his legacy.

“Faker is already considered the GOAT (greatest of all time) but this 4th title further cements his legacy,” Chen stated.

However, Faker was the only member of team T1 that had been a World Champion. The other four members of the team, Zeus (Choi Woo-je), Oner (Mun Hyeon-jun), Gumayashi (Lee Min-hyeong) and Keria (Ryu Min-seok) have all been members of team T1 since 2021, but have never won a world championship. T1 had a chance last year to win the championships, making the finals in 2022. T1 was heavily favored against DRX. Typically, Korea

Katie Foreman - Feature Editor Satvika Nitya - Arts & Culture Editor Lauren Ceballos - Sports Editor Aidan Freis - Distribution Manager Demili Pichay - Social Media Manager Emma-Kate Squires - Photo Editor Anna Hallock - Finance Manager

is allowed to send four teams to the League of Legends World Championships, and DRX was the last team to make it from Korea.

However, team T1 ended up losing to the underdogs by a final score of 3-2. The lasting image for team T1 would be one of sorrow, particularly for T1’s Keria, who was seen crying after the conclusion of the match.

This year, Faker had a new goal and motivation in mind: to win the championship for his team. Faker summed up his motivation in the Worlds finals teaser trailer.

“The third trophy was for myself,” Faker said. “The fourth trophy is for my teammates.”

T1 was not the only team that had a chance at making history. In the semifinals, T1 matched up against team JDG. JDG was looking to become the first team to win the “Golden Road,” a colloquial name for winning all four major league championships in a single year, which are the spring, mid seasonal invitational, summer and world championships.

JDG is only the second team

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to have come into the World Championships having won the first three major tournaments of the year, and first since 2019.

USD sophomore Andrew Chaplin, a member of the Torero Gaming Club, commented on what JDG winning the golden road would mean for their legacy.

“I think if JDG had won, it wouldn’t be hard to argue that they were the best team of all time.”

However, T1 were up to the challenge, winning in the semis 3-1 and ending JDG’s historic season on a loss.

As for the overall gameplay of the finals, many fans were unimpressed with the over. The finals ended in a straight sweep, with T1 in control the entire time. USD sophomore Anson Chen commented on the finals.

“I thought that this year’s final was really boring, because it was so one sided. After game one, WBG seemed lifeless, they played really poorly, especially in game three,” Chen said.

The 2023 League of Legends World Championships are likely to be remembered for a while, for all the history it created.

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 61 Issue 11

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The USD Vista

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December 7, 2023

Global Per

Highlighting internationa Vasco Pranto Almeida, Senior Lisbon, Portugal

Photo Courtesy of Vasco Pranto Almeida

“I am from Lisbon, Portugal, and the thing I miss most about home is the food — it’s incomparable. Everything’s fresher and tastier [in Portugal]. What I love most about home is going out, as most places stay open until 8 a.m. I also love going to some of the best beaches in Europe. The thing I appreciate the most about San Diego is the people, the community and the culture. All of these three things have made my time here unforgettable.”

USD is a diverse campus fille only all over the country, but a what makes the campus comm conversation, new perspecti diversity. Students at USD com help foster a campus full of cro and a dynamic exchange of idea boundaries of the classroom. H of our international students a well as their experien

Belle Ho Chi Minh

“I am from Ho C What I miss m communal our li different from my We would engage as eating, always or family. What I is the food — all k just Vietnamese. better b appreciate about S vibe of the city, slow paced compa

Maria Nsenga, Senior Kinshasa, Congo “I’m from Kinshasa, Congo. I miss food the most, because I haven’t been able to find it here.

What I love the most about Kinshasa is how welcoming people are and they always seem happy. I appreciate the weather in San Diego and the proximity to the beach.”

Photo Courtesy of Maria Nsenga

Phot Luci

Volume 61 Issue 11

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FEATURE

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The USD Vista

erspectives

onal students on campus

us filled with students from not y, but all over the world. This is community filled with engaging spectives and vibrant cultural SD come from backgrounds that of cross-cultural understanding, of ideas that extends beyond the oom. Here is a highlight of a few dents and their backgrounds, as perience in San Diego.

Zhenting Jiang, Senior Guangdong Province, China “I’m from Guangdong Province, the southern part of China. The favorite things I love about my home are the food, family, and friends. Those are also the things I miss most about.

I love the weather, nature, and beaches in San Diego. And the people here are really nice.”

Belle Tran, Senior Minh City, Vietnam

m Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. miss most about home is how al our lifestyle is, which is very rom my experience in the U.S. engage in daily activities such always surrounded by friends What I love most about home — all kinds of food — and not amese. I personally found it is etter back home. Something I about San Diego is the overall he city, it is very laid back and compared to the metropolitan vibe that I grew up in.”

Photo Courtesy of Zhenting Jiang

Photo Courtesy of Belle Tran

Lucinda Crawford, Junior Sydney, Australia

Photo Courtesy of Lucinda Crawford

“I’m from sunny Sydney, Australia. I miss being able to see my family and friends everyday and being able to drive and go places easily with friends.

Unlike America, in Australia we drive on the left side of the road. For me, I feel if I drove in America, it would be unsafe. I miss being able to go and explore places with friends whenever I wish. For me, I love Australian culture the most, it’s very chilled and laid-back and I feel most people there don’t overthink and stress. I find they [Australians] really appreciate the simple things in life. For me, the thing I most appreciate about San Diego is how bright and vibrant it is; the weather is always so beautiful and sunny. And it makes me want to constantly get out and explore and try new things.

Coming from a sunny country myself, I love the sun and warmth. I really appreciate how lively and beautiful San Diego is.”

Spread by Khushi Patel/The USD Vista: Content by Allie Longo/The USD Vista

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December 7, 2023

FEATURE AR TS &

Dr. Whitner found her home in Student Affairs Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students shares her journey Whitner from Page 1 they might need,” she said.

Dr. Nicole Whitner was born and raised in sunny San Diego, California, in the East County Valley area. She expressed how growing up in San Diego shaped who she is today.

“I feel really blessed to have grown up in San Diego; this is home for me. I feel like I had a really great experience in general,” Whitner said.

Being from San Diego and going off to school helped form her understanding and development of herself. She does not have any siblings, but has a big extended family.

“I have a big family. I have lots of cousins, aunts and uncles,” Whitner said.

“It kind of sometimes feels like I have siblings.’’

She expressed how there are not a lot of African Americans in San Diego.

“Like half of the 5% of Black San Diegans are probably my family members… because I have a big family,” Whitner said with a laugh. “San Diego looks a lot different now than it did when I grew up, and I think there is a lot that is shifting for the good, but it still is not as diverse.”

Whitner’s mother, Mary Brown, inspires her to keep doing what she does. Brown raised her as a single mom, while working for the city of San Diego in the engineering department. Her mom was the youngest of eight siblings and was raised in Arkansas. Her family moved out to San Diego to start a life here, and she is the only one of her siblings who finished high school in San Diego.

Whitner voiced how her mother made everything possible for her.

“She didn’t get the chance to finish her education in college, and despite being a really smart person, she still found a way to do whatever she could to make my life smooth, uninterrupted and healthy. I have no idea how she did it,” Whitner said. “I never question whether my mom loved or supported me; I can’t think of a single thing I could possibly do to ever lose that from my mom.”

Whitner described her grandmother Pearlie Brown, as a “strong woman”. Whitner continued to express that her grandmother loved her family hard and would advocate for her and members of her family to receive an education.

“She went through a lot of harsh things, she grew up in the Jim Crow era and faced a lot of challenges that I can’t even imagine. I think I live a life that I hope would make her proud.”

Whitner has an aunt who worked at University of California, San Diego (UCSD) for over forty years, who she explains is also one of her trusted mentors.

“She has connections here at USD and folks who know her, so just by nature being an extension of her, I feel like it’s been a blessing to know that she left an impact.”

When choosing a career for her future, Whitner originally took a different path.

“I probably took the weirdest, randomest path to get here,” she said with a laugh. “When I went to undergrad, I actually studied architecture, and I thought that’s what I was gonna do.”

Whitner pictured next to her mother, who has been an inspiration and motivation for Whitner in her life.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Nicole Whitner Whitner earned her undergraduate bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of California, Berkeley. Even though she intended to become an architect, Whitner found herself with another passion. During her time as an undergrad, she had plenty of work-study jobs that were focused on education. She was a tutor at an elementary after-school program and worked for a college prep program with high school students.

“Eventually I got into college admissions, and I was like, ‘this is closer,’ but with admissions,

As a Disney lover and Disney Pass Holder, Whitner said she tries to attend Disneyland once a month.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Nicole Whitner

you’re really helping students get into school, and then you hand them off and you know you work with the next group,” she said.

Dr. Whitner communicated that she longed to be a part of something even bigger.

“I wanted to be a little bit more a part of the student’s experience, so that’s how I landed as an academic advisor, and then that role I started to discover all the different ways that people worked to support students, and I started to become more curious. That was when I decided to go back to grad school.”

She received her Master of Science in Higher Education Leadership from Capella University, a private college in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After, she earned her Doctorate of Education in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California in 2018.

After earning her doctorate, Whitner has been able to “find her home” in student affairs.

Prior to joining USD, Whitner was the Dean of Students in 2018 at a small institution called Holy Names University in Oakland, California. She worked there for a little over three years.

“I was an assistant dean for diversity and inclusion at California College of the Arts, which is a small, private, art school. They had campuses both in Oakland and San Francisco.

I worked there all together for eight years, when I left I was an assistant dean, but when I started there, I was an academic advisor and had few different roles over the course of the eight years.”

Her message to young Black women and girls is to “remember themselves and to not take on

too much of what the world will put on you. There are a lot of stereotypes, expectations, ideals and criticisms that are put upon Black women in the United States that I think are unique to being a Black woman and are hard to carry. There are so many different multitudes that we can hold.”

She is an Assistant Vice President, an avid Disney lover, a “nerd” in her words who loves Steven Universe, NSYNC and can be “#BlackAF” because she spent her formative years in Oakland. She is proud to be the person that “folks trust.” “[What’s important to me is] folks who feel like they can share their experiences with me.

Whether that’s students I’m able to meet and connect with or my friends, colleagues and loved ones… Just being someone who is open and folks feel like if they are having a hard time or they’re battling something that I can be a resource for them in that way.

It makes me proud, when I’m able to celebrate people and their successes and when they are excited to celebrate with me when it is my turn,” Whitner explained.

Whitner also explained she wants students at the University of San Diego to embrace themselves.

“I think really just embracing yourself and remembering that you have to take care of yourself as well. I used to say this to my academic advisees that you don’t have to just be a byproduct of where you came from or who your family is. And if anyone doesn’t appreciate that about you, they’re probably not that important.”

Whitner plans to continue to utilize her position to uplift and catalyze positive social change for students at USD.

The USD Vista

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December 7, 2023

9

OPINION

The purpose of trigger warnings Preparing minds, not sheltering them

JACKIE MARQUEZ OPINION EDITOR LILY ANDERSON ASST.OPINION EDITOR Trigger warnings are a relatively new phenomenon in the classroom that have been embraced by some professors and neglected by others.

However, trigger warnings are a necessary tool, not a luxury.

As explained by the University of Michigan, “trigger warnings are a specific variety of content warnings that aim to forewarn audiences of content that may cause intense physiological and psychological symptoms for people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other anxiety disorders.”

Trigger warnings are not about shielding students from discomfort, but providing a roadmap for challenging intellectual topics such as sexual assault, eating disorders or racism. They serve as a headsup, before professors delve into content that can have unwelcome effects on students who may be able to personally relate. Trigger warnings aid students in navigating tricky academic waters with a

greater sense of control and agency.

It’s not about avoiding difficulties but equipping students with the tools to navigate them successfully.

While trigger warnings are a necessity for making difficult topics accessible to students who may have related-trauma, not all trigger warnings are created equally. In fact, those given by most professors are insufficient.

Given my (Jackie’s) personal experiences, I have a difficult time engaging with content related to sexual assault. I don’t run from it per se, but I do like to take into consideration whether or not I have the mental energy to engage in a conversation that brings up bad memories. In the past I have had professors give “trigger warnings’’ that did little to prepare me for the content ahead.

There have been times where my professors simply tell the class that we’ll be discussing sexual assault and then jump right into the content. This type of warning is problematic for a couple of reasons.

First, it leaves out a lot of important information. If the purpose of a trigger warning is to help students decide whether they want to engage with potentially triggering content, then that

warning should help to inform their decision. Vague warnings like the verbal example above leave out crucial details, like how graphic the content will be and in what manner it will be conveyed. In the context of sexual assault, I personally can handle hearing statistics. However, seeing depictions of assault or hearing other people’s stories can be really upsetting. When professors fail to give students details about the content, it leaves students like myself guessing about whether or not we should engage with that material. It also forces students to guess about whether or not they’ll be indirectly penalized for leaving class. Will you need to see the content, in order to complete an activity or an assignment? If so, your grade could be affected.

Not only is there not enough information given to make a proper decision, there’s not enough time given either. If you decide that you do want to step out of class, you often have to make that decision on the spot. Then, you have to walk past all of your peers as you leave. Stepping out of class can feel vulnerable; it’s as if you’re broadcasting your triggers to the classroom.

Sometimes walking out in front of your peers can feel more difficult

than just enduring the lesson.

To give an effective trigger warning, professors should let their students know about the content before class. If a professor has a detailed syllabus that shares what they’ll be covering during every class period, putting a trigger warning in the syllabus isn’t a bad idea. However, it’s even more effective if professors give students a heads up a day or two before class. After all, not everyone checks the syllabus everyday. Doing this allows students to make an informed decision about whether or not they should avoid the session without putting them on the spot in front of their classmates.

One of my (Jackie’s) professors, Dr. Jillian Tullis, has done a fantastic job of giving these detailed warnings in advance. At the very latest, she’ll send us an email the night before we interact with heavy subjects such as sexual assault or intimate partner violence.

These emails give an overview of the material we will cover, and acknowledge that these are sensitive topics. Said emails also encourage us to reach out to her if we have any concerns, and remind us that if we choose not to attend class we don’t have to disclose why. This

small effort not only helps me in my decision making process, but it also makes me feel more comfortable engaging in her lessons.

A well-executed trigger warning gives an overview of the material that will be covered, as well as how it will be covered. It should be given to students before class, so they don’t have to make a pressuring decision in front of their peers. Furthermore, it should allow students to remove themselves from class without penalty. This type of warning doesn’t eliminate uncomfortable topics; it prepares students to engage with them. When students know what is coming, they can organize their thoughts and prepare their opinions more successfully than if they had been caught off guard. Because of this, I encourage USD to set a standard policy for trigger warnings in the classroom.

This policy should cover common triggers such as, but not limited to, sexual assault, hate crimes, violence and/or eating disorders. Requiring professors to put in a little extra effort and give comprehensive trigger warnings in advance may be a slight inconvenience, but it is worth ensuring that students are not subjected to unnecessary emotional distress.

Pick your political poison

The U.S. should adopt a multiparty system RONNIE SAENZ ASST. OPINION EDITOR When Americans go to the polls next November to choose their next president, they are participating in a decision that will have lasting repercussions for themselves, the world and future generations. Yet, because there are only two major political parties, the Democratic and Republican parties, the most important decision in many Americans’ lives has the same amount of options as a true or false exam: two.

Even though there are third party candidates, they seldom win elections and have never won a presidential election. Fact of the matter is, the likelihood of winning an election depends on whether or not you are a part of one of the two major parties in the U.S.: Republican or Democrat. This means candidates have to adapt their political positions to keep support within those parties. As a result, many voters’ opinions won’t get represented. This is problematic because survey data taken in November 2023 by Gallup shows nearly half of Americans identify as politically independent. A candidate should not have to change their

values in order to run, if this many people are unrepresented by the two parties. They should have the support of a party who aligns closer to their views, and that is exactly what adding more parties would do.

Specifically, splitting the Democratic and Republican parties each in half would create the needed diversity of opinion giving us four total parties.

A multiparty system would allow voters a wider range of options as to who to vote for, and give minority populations more voice in elections.

At the moment, only two parties have to care for the wide range of opinions across the U.S. With multiple parties, you can have each party represent more targeted interests in America.

This means minority populations will finally have the opportunity to get their voices heard, instead of having to side with what is the closest to their voice: often having to pick the lesser of two perceived evils.

This will be extremely beneficial to minorities especially as parties no longer have to do the bare minimum to gain their support, they actually have to try to represent minority populations in the U.S. It’s not that diverse opinions don’t already exist within the Democratic and Republican parties, but creating new parties will allow them to get better representation. It would limit the amount of infighting

between parties, and allow voters to focus more on the actual messages of the parties and candidates instead of the bickering and infighting between Republicans and Democrats.

There are those who say the two party system is necessary, because it allows the U.S. government to run faster than a multiparty system. Although there are other democracies who run fine on a multiparty system, such as the UK and Mexico, the U.S. is one of the largest democratic governments in the world. So, speed and efficiency is essential, unlike in other smaller democracies.

The two party system argument is partially valid, but the issue is that it doesn’t account for the inefficiencies a two-party system creates. Sure, the government can take action quickly, but many of the laws a party passes will only be reversed after the other party gets the majority in the next election cycle. One example is when former-President Trump took office in 2016 and ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Trump reversed many of the decisions his predecessor, Barack Obama, had made, only for President Biden to reverse Trump’s decisions, as Biden has already taken steps to bring back DACA and ACA. This gross

U.S. politics are structured in a way that doesn’t allow for accurate representation.

Photo courtesy of @element5digital/Unsplash

inefficiency would be reduced with more than two parties, as they would have to make more compromises amongst themselves to create policies and change them, rather than just creating and undoing changes.

A multiparty system would be very beneficial for the U.S. and represent the interests of every American. Yet, it will be extremely difficult to create such a system,

and the only way for this to happen is through public outcry. So talk to your representatives, write to them, or email them that you want the U.S. to fund another majority party. For now, you should definitely vote independent and encourage representatives to become independent. Otherwise we’ll just stay trapped in this back and forth of bipartisan politics.

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 61 Issue 11

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Opinion

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The USD Vista

OPINION

Stop lying to kids about Santa Give the gift of truth instead

LILY ANDERSON ASST. OPINION EDITOR As a kid, there was nothing quite like the magic of Christmas morning — the excitement of finding presents left by Santa and his elves. Nothing compared to the miracle of Santa knowing precisely what you wanted for Christmas.

I can vividly recall the days of my innocence before I discovered the terrible truth: Santa isn’t real. The belief in jolly old Santa Claus was the glue that held the Christmas experience together, including a world where reindeer could fly and magic was as real as the snow flurrying outside the window.

The realization that Santa was a lie hit me like a snowball to the face — unexpected, cold and with a lingering burn. As the curtain lifted, a harsh reality set in: the magic of Christmas became just another fantasy destroyed by the growing pains of real life.

Moving forward, as we decorate our homes with lights and gather as family, it’s time

to rethink the role of Santa in our holiday celebrations. The danger in lying about Santa extends beyond the broken hearts and disappointment of children. It’s a matter of morals, leading by example and teaching right from wrong.

Lying, even with good intentions, sends a mixed message about the importance of honesty to impressionable kids. We are urged not to lie, yet spin a web of deceit, all in the name of a make-believe character, which has broader implications.

Instead, we are learning that it is okay to manipulate people and spin the truth to get what we want.

Threatening kids with receiving only a lump of coal discourages the development of genuine compassion, insinuating that we should only participate in good behavior for rewards. Instead, we should emphasize the inherent value of honesty and integrity. Future children should learn that being a good person doesn’t stem from the fear of ending up on Santa’s naughty list but from a developed, mature sense of right

from wrong, which has implicit benefits for those who do “right.”

Preserving the myth of Santa Claus also leads to confusion among children who are less fortunate financially. For those who may not receive gifts, the thought that Santa either chose to skip them or forgot about them entirely can be deeply upsetting and disheartening. People who do not celebrate Christmas or have an equivalent to Santa in their traditions may also feel left out, or isolated during the celebrations. In an era where we are taught that inclusivity and empathy are important values in our society, it is crucial to reconsider a tradition that continues to strengthen inequalities and disparities.

The time has come for us to say goodbye to the elaborate ruse of Santa Claus. Doing so teaches kids about the gift of truth instead of the gift of lies. We should switch the narrative and embrace the joy of giving and receiving without the baggage of an imaginary man in a sleigh.

We can still celebrate Christmas and the idea of Santa without pretending like he is

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.

The shock of finding out Santa isn’t real can be jarring for many children.

Photo courtesy of @Krakenimages/Unsplash

real and has control over our festive celebration. Instead, we can celebrate Santa for the fable he truly is and use him as an example of joy and spirit.

As we enter the holiday

season, we need to unwrap the myth of Santa and replace it with the magic of love, kindness and honesty, because these are the gifts that keep on giving no matter what age.

Rather than lying to their kids, parents should teach their kids to value honesty and integrity.

Photo courtesy of @blavon/Unsplash

Volume 61 Issue 11

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SPORTS

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The USD Vista

SPORTS

Beach brings home WCC award

First-year volleyball player wins ‘Freshman of Year’ for USD LEVI COOVERT CONTRIBUTOR

Many first-years in college struggle with the transition to university life. It can take time to get used to a new environment, a bigger school, more pressure in academics, athletics and extracurriculars. Being a first-year student is not supposed to be easy, but on the volleyball court, Neomi Beach, who goes by Nemo, sure makes it seem like it is. The first-year USD women’s Volleyball player was recently named the West Coast Conference (WCC) Freshman of the Year.

Nemo Beach is USD’s first recipient of the award since 2019. She was honored to be given such recognition.

“I felt really happy to know that my hard work was noticed and accomplished, so it was great to see that,” Beach said.

Beach certainly worked hard this year. She totaled 185 kills, 31 blocks and 36 digs, while

playing in all but two of USD’s 26 matches. Her impact was a major reason why the Toreros were able to finish third place in the WCC. Beach was also named as an All-WCC honorable mention.

Before coming to USD, Beach was the team captain for the Hamilton High School Huskies in Chandler, Arizona. As captain, she led her team to back-to-back Arizona state championships, and was named as the 2022-23 Gatorade Arizona Volleyball Player of the Year. She also led all-Arizona girls volleyball players with 673 kills that season. She has played for numerous club teams including the 2019 Girls’ international youth team, of which she was a team captain. Beach was also an Under Armour All-American nominee.

Beach mentioned one specific family member as one of her influences and sources of motivation.

“My aunt really motivated me, because she was basically the first

one in our family to make it far to the next level… and I wanted to do anything to get myself to a high level, such as where I am at now, but still continuing to push myself for these next years of volleyball,” Beach said.

Beach also acknowledged her high school coach, Sharon Vanis.

“She pushed me beyond my limits and challenged me to be the best that I can be, so thank you to her for all of her help.”

Beach is the tenth recipient of the WCC Freshman of the Year award to come from USD, but her goals do not stop there.

“I’m working to become the next all-American, that’s my goal that I want to achieve.

To get to that status… I will be working tremendously hard and improving my skills.”

So far in her young career, Beach has done just that, proving herself a hard worker and a very talented athlete. Beach says Beach is the 10th Torero to win the high honor as a first-year. she is still just getting started.

Photo courtesy @usdvolleyball/Instagram

Pickleball builds comradery

The growing fame of pickleball continues at USD LAUREN CEBALLOS SPORTS EDITOR Sports bring many things to light including competitiveness, new skill and comradery. One sport that includes all of this is pickleball.

Pickleball is a paddle sport that originated in 1965 and has grown in popularity over the years, all over TikTok and other social media platforms. Many influencers have posted their outfits for pickleball or images of the court, and many USD students followed the trend, rushing to play after class in the campus recreation courts.

Pickleball was created by Joel Pritchard, a Washington congressman, Bill Bell, a businessman, and Barney McCallum, a handyman.

Onix Pickleball, the leading manufacturer of pickleball equipment, stated the origins of the game made by Pritchard, McCallum and Bell on Onix Pickleball.

“With bored children at home, they sought to play badminton on an old badminton court but couldn’t find the proper equipment. They improvised and played with table tennis paddles and a perforated plastic ball. They began with the net at a badminton net height (60 inches high) and volleyed the ball back and forth over the net,” according to Onix Pickleball.

McCallum joined the men the following weekend, producing the rules for the game as a solution to their families’ boredom.

By 1990, nearly every state in the U.S. was playing pickleball. The USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) was established in 2005 with their first national tournament in 2009.

The name of the game is said to

have two origin stories, however one has not prevailed yet.

According to Onix Pickleball, “The first account is according to Joan Pritchard; Joel Pritchard, she started calling the game pickleball because the combination of different sports reminded her of the pickle boat in crew, where oarsmen were chosen from the leftovers of the other boats. The second account — from Barney McCallum — says that pickleball was named after Pritchard’s dog Pickles, who would chase the ball and run with it. Some believe Pickles was named after the game, because he didn’t join the family until a couple of years after the game was created.”

USD club pickleball General Manager (President), Shannon Burns defined the sport.

“I always tell people it’s a combination of ping pong, tennis and badminton… you usually use a wiffle ball type of ball… and then the paddles are a lot smaller,” Burns said.

Burns officially brought the sport to the school in Spring of 2022, after finding an interest in the sport during COVID-19.

“When I came to USD, I asked around, and I figured out that we didn’t actually have a club pickleball team… so I was like, ‘whoa we need a club, then I bet we would be able to get a lot of people involved.’”

Burns shared why she chose to start the club.

“A lot of people didn’t know what it was, so I feel like starting the club would expose people to the sport and get them into it and allow people to have fun with that.”

USD first-year Christopher Harman found the sport of pickleball through one of his best

friends over the summer. The two would meet and play every Friday night with other friends, playing pickleball tournaments.

Harman explained why he loves the sport so much.

“It definitely gives me something to get my mind off of stuff, but it also gives me a place to be competitive still. That’s something that I was worried about leaving high school, because I played sports year round,” Harman said.

Harman proceeded to join USD club pickleball this year.

Burns expressed how the club started off small, with a majority of club tennis players.

“I think we only had 15 registered members the first semester and then since then, we’ve grown a lot. Last semester, we had around 60 registered members… [and this

semester] we had over 200 people register at the Alcalá Bazaar.”

Burns explained a consensus of interest among USD students that was made prevalent during Alcalá Bazaar.

“This was kind of the first Alcalá Bazaar that everybody knew what it was, and I wasn’t having to explain what it was to people when they came up. They were like, ‘oh my gosh, I love pickleball’ rather than ‘what is pickleball?’” Burns said.

Harman solidified this statement with his prevalent interest.

“I found out about club pickleball actually through my love for pickleball. Before coming to USD, I looked up and searched if we did have a pickleball club and sure enough we did. I found it… on Instagram and through the USD website,” Harman said.

Burns explained how she found a community amongst pickleballers at USD specifically.

“People are able to meet new people that they might not have normally talked to on campus, but they’re able to unite over their love of pickleball, especially with the competitive players and for the beginners,” Burns shared about the club members.

Harman expanded on this idea as a member of the club.

“The club has been amazing.

They’ve got great leaders. It’s like a tight, fun community and all the people there are super nice and super accepting and wanting to help others,” Harman said.

Pickleball continues to grow as USD students build their love for it and the connections that they have made because of it.

USD club pickleball began making mic’d up videos for viewers to get to know their athletes.

Photo courtesy of @usdclubpickleball/Instagram

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The USD Vista

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December 7, 2023

More than just statistics The impact sports have on athletes

LAUREN CEBALLOS SPORTS EDITOR

In the world of sports, there is competition, comradery, highlights, personal bests, bad plays, bad calls and many more elements that can drown the person in the athlete. While winning the games and impressive stats are a major part of sports, the individual cannot be forgotten.

The records, the titles and the success of a team would not exist without the human.

USD graduate student and soccer player, Matteo Gasperoni, shared the lessons that he has learned from playing soccer throughout his life. He spoke about his experience and how, at times, the pressure of being good at the sport means it loses sight of what originally connected him to soccer.

Gasperoni is from Cesena, Italy, and said he was always playing soccer with his friends when he was little. He was formally introduced to soccer when he was six years old when his dad put him into a soccer academy, resulting in Gasperoni receiving a call from a professional club one year later.

At the young age of seven, Gasperoni already had a serious, professional schedule which he was happy with because he learned a lot and enjoyed the game. However, Gasperoni reflected on another feeling that came along with the experience.

“I was very young, I felt like sometimes the pressure was a lot. And I had some coaches that were very hard, and sometimes they took away a little bit of the fun part of the game… Sometimes it was kind of maybe too much for a kid, even when I was 13, 14.

The fun part has to be there every time. And for me sometimes it was like a job, even if I was 10 years old,” Gasperoni said.

As time went on, Gasperoni fell more in love with the sport and was given a more rigorous schedule. Gasperoni explained that the healthy lifestyle habits he picked up from playing soccer is something that he will always hold with him, as well as the social skills that he has learned.

Gasperoni shared another lesson that he learned over time.

“You have to recall your legacy, your emotions: when you’re a kid and you play the sport… have that kid side inside you every time, even if you’re 35.

I’ve seen older players when I was playing with other guys that still had fun, they look like a kid sometimes. But that’s something that you need to always remember to do — to enjoy what you do even if it’s a job or kind of a job. You still have to have fun,” Gasperoni explained.

Even if the athlete does not always feel overwhelmed by their sport or caught up in the schedule and the pressure, there can be other factors that may affect them. Despite his love of the game, Gasperoni had some setbacks with

Gasperoni focuses on his love of soccer during childhood as motivation to keep playing.

Photo courtesy of @usdmsoccer/Instagram

injuries throughout his career.

“I was at a level where it was very close to be the top level in Italy at some point when I was 17, 18. And I had a bad injury. That’s where I struggled the most in my life not only talking about sports, because when you dedicate hours and hours and hours and hours, and then you see maybe your dream kind of go away from you. It’s difficult also because you always have this in your mind, it was always like you’re

Over time, Stoner (#8) has learned how to shape her mindset, outside of just the stats.

Photo courtesy of @usdvolleyball/Instagram

COMING UP THIS WEEK

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gonna be a professional player, you know? And then you have to face the reality,” Gasperoni said.

While his injury may have been viewed as a setback by some, Gasperoni viewed it as a new opportunity, opening more doors such as going to college and playing soccer. Gasperoni expressed that he will be forever thankful for coming to the U.S. “Honestly, going to the U.S. was the best choice of my life,” Gasperoni said.

Gasperoni expressed his relationship with soccer despite the ups and downs of his career.

“The most important thing that I keep with me [from] being an athlete and soccer I love, I still love the game and I want to definitely stay. My dream is to be a coach. I want to be a head coach one day in the U.S. in college.”

USD junior and volleyball player, Haylee Stoner, also explained her experience with sports throughout her career.

“I started playing when I was nine. I had done a few sports before but my parents decided to put me in this one [volleyball] because my aunt had played in college and they thought I’d like it,” Stoner explained.

Stoner expressed how there was a shift in the way her nine-year-old self viewed volleyball over time.

“I think now that I am in college I view it more so as a job, because there is a lot more at stake than when I was younger.

It’s something that I do and there is lots of value in it but I still enjoy it,” Stoner relayed.

Stoner explained how she feels about the theory that a player can be forgotten in light of their gameday stats.

“I do think sometimes it’s a

USD WBB at CSUN Sunday, Dec. 10 2 PM Northridge, CA

little too stat-heavy. That is why I described it more so as a job because you are brought here and recruited to fill a role.

As a freshman, it surprised me but now that I’ve been in it for awhile it’s not as weird to me.

I think the part of forgetting about the athlete depends on the program you are in.

The USD volleyball program does a great job of keeping us together as a group and making us a family,” Stoner said.

Stoner has a tactic when the pressure gets too heavy.

“When I want to give up I think of myself as a younger girl and I think of her love for the sport and I continue to play for her. I also play for my family because they did so much to get me to where I am.

I couldn’t have done it without them,” Stoner explained.

Stoner and her team had an impressive season last year that raised expectations and set the bar high. She views the 2022 season as a highlight in her career, explaining that the people she has met make the long hours all worth it.

Overall, Stoner is thankful for her sport and what it has taught her.

“I think the biggest two [lessons] I’ve learned is to push through adversity and to continue to believe in yourself even when others may doubt. I think your confidence in yourself can get you a lot of places.”

Sports are sometimes so focused on statistics or highlights that it is forgotten that the athletes are actual people and that without these athletes, the sport may or may not exist but it would not be played with the passion that these athletes hold.

USD MBB vs Portland State Saturday, Dec. 15 7 PM San Diego, CA