Volume 61 Issue 22

THE USD VISTA

Alongside the stress of finals season, a new challenge has arisen for some USD upperclassmen: finding a place to live. A large, incoming first-year class, coupled with changes in housing availability have left USD upperclassmen with limited housing options for the coming academic year.

Lissette Martinez, senior director of Media Relations for USD, explained the size of the incoming class and the high housing demand for the 2024-2025 academic year.

“We are expecting a freshman class of 1,250 first-year students, and 350 new transfers for the fall of 2024,” Martinez stated.

“Of those first-year and transfer students, about 95% will require housing, and all will be assigned.”

The incoming first-year class is the second largest class in the past decade for USD, according to the university’s most recently released Common Data Sets.

The size is second only to 2018, with 1,310 first-year, first-time students, and closely followed by last year 2023, which had 1,245 first-year, first-time students.

Due to the two-year on-campus residency requirement, this means

that two of the three largest firstyear classes in the past decade of USD’s admittance will be required to live on campus next year.

This predicament has arisen amid the reconstruction of the University Terrace Apartments

(UTAs), traditionally used to house upperclassmen students.

The UTAs were composed of 38 apartments, housing up to four people each. With their closure, 152 spots for upperclassmen are now unavailable.

Pro-Palestine protest at USD

In light of recent pro-Palestine demonstrations across the country, some USD community members are likewise expressing their stance on campus. On Wednesday, May 1, 2024, students, faculty and staff gathered on USD’s Paseo de

Colachis for a requiem in tribute to Gaza. A “requiem” is a Mass or service honoring those who have passed, and is often demonstrated by the Roman Catholic church.

As of May 6, the number of Palestininans killed as a result of this war nears 35,000, and increases daily. The event included a “die-in,” where participants laid on the grass to represent those

killed in the conflict. During this time, various faculty members offered Orthodox, Christian, Catholic and Jewish mourning prayers to honor victims and their families. This included Theology and Religious Studies professors Dr. Rico Monge and Dr. Bahar Davary, History professor Dr. Ted Falk and Vice

Requiem, Page

Martinez expressed that supplementing upperclassmen housing with additional housing options elsewhere is already underway for USD.

“Those units [the UTAs] have not been occupied since August of 2023. To compensate for that, the University expanded its leasing units at Pacific Ridge [Apartments] and in addition has added 300 additional units to the inventory.” See Housing, Page 3

A pro-Palestine encampment was created and subsequently removed on UCSD’s campus last week. On May 1, University of California San Diego (UCSD) joined the growing number of colleges and universities creating encampments in protest of their university’s business ties to Israel. UCSD students set up an encampment on Library Walk, a pedestrian street that runs centrally through the UCSD campus. Around 20 tents were set up on the grass alongside the road on the first day, over the week, the encampment grew to around 34 tents. Many students also gathered outside of the encampment, some to show support, and a few to counterprotest by holding Israeli flags.

Some USD students visited the encampment at UCSD to show support. USD junior, Maya Atwal, visited the encampment several times between May 1 and May 6.

Opinion, page 4

Feature, page 6

A&C, page 9

Sports, page 12

SASHA BUKHTIYAROVA CONTRIBUTOR

Students are guaranteed on-campus housing their first two years, but after the requirement ends, many students struggle to get their desired housing.

Emma Kate-Squires/The USD Vista

LILI KIM ASST. NEWS EDITOR

USD community mourns deaths in Gaza Students rally for Palestine and call

From Requiem, Page 1

President of Mission Integration Dr. Michael Lovette-Colyer.

The requiem was coorganized by independent students and the Gaza @ USD Faculty Coalition, a group of professors that united in the Fall 2023 semester in response to the war outbreak in the Gaza Strip in Palestine. Throughout the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 semesters, the Gaza @ USD Faculty Coalition organized a two-part “teach in,” which included weekly lectures and panel discussions from professors around San Diego about various topics surrounding the conflict in the Middle East and justice for indigenous communities.

Following the die-in, students and community members gave speeches expressing their stances

on the injustices by the American government and academic institutions. Chants led by student organizers included: “Palestine is our demand, no peace on stolen land” and “Not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for Israel’s crimes.” USD first-year students Shukriya Osman and Mumtaaz Elmi led the chants, which the crowd continued on a procession through campus to President James T. Harris’ office, where the group met the president to deliver a petition. This protest comes after the Palestinian Solidarity Committee at USD’s protest on Nov. 16 during the fall semester.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Osman said. “Our [The Palestinian Solidarity Committee at USD] last protest was last semester. We did a petition, but there wasn’t

a response back from the institution so we made an effort this time to literally deliver it to the president himself.”

The petition is a joint statement between the Palestinian Solidarity Committee at USD and the Palestinian Alliance for the USD Law School. In the statement, the groups ask the University to disclose any ties or funds the school is providing Israel and divest those funds. It also urges the school to end its study abroad program based in Israel, which Osman explained is an unjust opportunity as Palestinians themselves cannot return to their own country.

“I hope that us protesting is educating more people about this topic, and I hope they reflect deeply and understand what position we’re coming from, which is a place of peace

for USD to divest

and justice,” Elmi explained.

President James T. Harris III was one of the many attendees of the protest after being personally invited by the organizers.

“I think our students have set a positive standard of how to have civil conversations and dialogue,” Harris said.

Harris left the protest before it was over to return back to his office and accept the petition as it was delivered to him by the student organizers. While his acceptance of the document does not entail his agreement to its terms, it demonstrates the president’s willingness to review it.

The protest was also attended by dozens of undergraduate and graduate students, many of whom wore black clothing, brought signs

and waved Palestinian flags. Likewise, a group of a dozen counter-protesters stood quietly nearby with Israeli and American flags in opposition to the event. Due to the central location of the protest on campus, many students happened upon the event spontaneously, while others had been looking forward to it since it was announced, such as USD first-year Mariana Reyes.

“I was waiting for USD to do something like this, so I was really excited and it was a no-brainer for me to come,” Reyes said.

So far, no other protests are planned, but the Gaza @ USD Faculty Coalition and Palestinian student organizations on campus will continue to have conversations about bringing awareness to the issues revolving around the conflict in Gaza.

UCSD’s encampment for Palestine

Some USD students join ‘liberated zone’ in solidarity

From Encampment, Page 1

Atwal shared her motivations for joining the students at UCSD with The USD Vista.

“Immediately after hearing the announcement that UCSD had opened their encampment, I knew I had to go,” Atwal said. “I knew they would be met with adversity, so I desperately wanted to go, stand in solidarity with other students, and personally be on the right side of history. I received notice that UCSD authorities threatened to remove students and personnel from the campus at 6p.m. do ID checks, and charge others with trespassing, on the first night of the encampment. I dropped everything and within five minutes I was out of the door.”

Yesika Menera, another USD junior also visited the encampment, despite the police presence. Menera was adamant that the protest was peaceful during her time there.

“Since I went up to the encampment and spent the night there, it was peaceful: one of the most peaceful protests I’ve ever been to. We did prayers, chalk on the sidewalk, dances, played football [and] card games, etc. It was solidarity. I was sad because I made so many personal connections at the encampment, from the medics to some of the leaders that were organizing, and I knew that they were the ones who got arrested. It wasn’t fair,” Menera said.

According to the Instagram of the UCSD Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), @ sjp.ucsd, the demands of the encampment were for UCSD to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, ensure amnesty for students who participate in the protests, conduct a campus-wide boycott of companies that support Israel and for the entirety of the UC college system to divest financial

holdings from companies that support or profit off of Israel.

Rachel, who declined to give her last name due to safety concerns, is a student at UCSD who serves as one of the media liaisons for the encampment; she expanded on the meaning of the call for divestment.

“Chancellors and presidents of the UCs all have money tied up in Israeli stocks and bonds, so the call is for people in campus power to divest [UCSD’s] money from these corporations and stop sending our tuition dollars to an active genocide,” Rachel said.

On Monday, May 6, around 6:00a.m. the encampment was cleared out by riot police at the request of UCSD’s administration. Videos show the police using pepper spray and hitting protestors with batons.

On the same day, Chancellor Pradeep Khosla released a statement to the UCSD community on the reasoning behind the decision.

“Early this morning, law enforcement authorities successfully removed an illegal encampment on the UC San Diego campus after five days of attempts to communicate with participants and multiple, clear requests to disperse. UC San Diego encourages and allows peaceful protests, but this encampment violated campus policy and the law and grew to pose an unacceptable risk to the safety of the campus community,” his office wrote in a press release.

According to the press release, 64 people were arrested after refusing the dispersal request, 40 were students while the other 24 were unidentified or unaffiliated with UCSD. Two minor injuries were reported.

Some students and faculty at UCSD have called for Khoshla to resign due to his handling of the encampment.

UCSD students and police face off on the morning of May 6, when the encampment was cleared. Spencer Bispham/The USD Vista

UCSD students gathered peacefully in their encampment for five days, before it was removed.

Photo courtesy of @sjp.ucsd /Instagram

Moore on post-hazing recruitment 2 former football players have civil lawsuits pending against USD

ANJALI DALAL-WHELAN NEWS EDITOR

On Aug. 18, before the 20232024 academic year began, half of the USD football team was disciplined for hazing.

Throughout the year, more information has come to light on the specifics of the hazing incidents, covered in a prior article of The USD Vista.

Two civil lawsuits remain pending against USD for the football team’s alleged hazing.

As reported by The USD Vista, on Oct. 23, former quarterback AJ Perez filed a lawsuit against USD. On Dec. 7, a second former player, Kollen Murphy, filed a lawsuit against USD with similar allegations. Both individuals say they left USD and the football team this year because of hazing.

The former players are both represented by the attorney Scott Carr. The lawsuits are still in the early phases, but according to the County of San Diego’s register of actions website, both have a scheduled Civil Case Management Conference (CMC) for this summer. A CMC is when both sides and their lawyers meet with the judge to discuss how to handle the case. Perez’s CMC is scheduled

for June 28, while Murphy’s CMC will take place on July 12.

After the hazing was reported, USD took internal action after the allegations.

In September, President Harris emailed the USD

community with information about the internal investigation.

“We have launched an independent inquiry to determine if there were violations of the student code of conduct or infringements upon the

individual rights of any member of our student body,” the email from Harris stated.

According to USD football coach Brandon Moore in an interview with The USD Vista last week, the investigation has

officially concluded. In his interview, Moore commented on the investigation and legal issues.

“I think the investigation has concluded at this point, there [are] still a bunch of legal things out there. There’s a lot of litigation going on at this point,” Moore stated.

Moore also discussed how the allegations affected USD’s football recruitment for next year.

“We were completely transparent about it, I told every audience that we had, any time we had recruiting weekends, any time we had recruits on campus or potential student-athletes on campus we were transparent about it,” Moore said. “[I told them] these things happen, we don’t agree with them, they were bad and it’s in no way indicative of the future of this program.”

Despite the allegations, USD football recruited 32 first-years and 15 transfers to play for the Toreros next year, according to Moore. In 2022, USD recruited 33 new players including transfers. None of the new players who were contacted by The USD Vista responded to questions on how the hazing allegations affected their decision to join the team.

On-campus housing demand

From Housing, Page 1

All of these factors have culminated in some upperclassmen students having issues with locking down their housing for the next school year, despite submitting their applications before the housing application deadline. Rising junior, Kaziah Fletcher did not have a difficult time with housing, until she applied for her junior year.

“I completely understand that freshmen and sophomores have priority. But they [USD] also let us know that as rising juniors and rising seniors that if we completed the housing application prior to their deadline, that we would have housing and a lot of people I know did not get housing, like not even a room to select, which I thought was very odd.”

The USD Housing Application provides additional housing information for upperclassmen. According to the form, “If you do not fall under the two-year residency requirement … housing is limited, and we

Some struggle to secure housing for next

encourage you to apply as soon as you are able, as our office will process/approve applications based on when they are submitted. We do expect to have housing for all students that apply by the March 4 deadline.”

Additionally, the University website does state on the “Upper Division and Transfer Info” page that “Transfer/upper division housing is limited and not guaranteed for students that are not a part of the twoyear residency requirement.”

Fletcher was scheduled to select housing on the first day, in the third time slot, yet was not able to get a room with her desired housing group.

“We all had to go with randoms. Like, I’m literally just going to double with nobody I know,” Fletcher said.

Some students remain on the waitlist, in limbo until July, awaiting updates on their housing situation.

Others, like Fletcher, await hearing back on being able to switch rooms or roommates.

“I feel like they need to have

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

Katie Foreman - Feature Editor

Satvika Nitya - Arts & Culture Editor

Lauren Ceballos - Sports Editor

Aidan Freis - Distribution Manager

Hailey Howell - Social Media Manager

Emma-Kate Squires - Photo Editor

Anna Hallock - Director of Finance

a better system on assigning housing,” Fletcher voiced.

USD rising junior Briana Gonzalez-Labastida was not as lucky with her housing applications for the next semester. Gonzalez-Labastida faced an issue with submitting her housing application.

Students who did not register in time like GonzalezLabastida, were added to the housing interest list. In an email sent to Gonzalez-Labastida on April 11, USD Housing Director Brandon McCreary expressed concern about the likelihood of getting off of the interest list.

“We received an overwhelming number of applications,” he stated. “So [for] students that did not submit an application ontime, it is going to be very difficult to offer something to [them].”

According to emails sent to those on the interest list, students were originally told that they would find out in June or July if their on-campus housing was confirmed. Now, those hoping to live on-campus will hear back at some point during

year

July, according to a recent update sent to students on the list.

The state of housing for the 2024-25 school year has elicited emotional responses in students and parents alike.

USD junior Lily Olson works in housing and elaborated on how the entire process has been impacting those within housing administration.

“We have a lot of people really angry [because of the date being pushed to July], like parents telling us ‘they’ll drive down’ angry,” Olson explained.

Gonzalez-Labastida felt more discouraged than angry. “Right now as juniors, we’re kind of just in this awkward position where it feels like everyone other than us is being prioritized,” she said.

Students choose their housing using the USD Housing Portal. According to the portal disclaimer, seniors choose housing first with their roommate groups, then juniors, followed by rising sophomores. Some housing, like the Alcalá Vista Apartments, is designated specifically for

second-years, limiting the options for upperclassmen hoping to live on-campus.

This system leaves juniors trying to live oncampus disadvantaged, in a highly competitive housing environment. “I know a lot of rising juniors who were paired with seniors, so they got priority,” Fletcher continued.

This “priority” was due to the person with the earliest time slot in a roommate group being able to select rooms for everyone in their group, according to the USD website. Juniors that paired with seniors were able to be placed in student housing during the seniors’ registration time slot.

If USD continues increasing first-year class size, housing issues like these could become more apparent, depending on how the University plans to accommodate the growth as students must compete for prime housing selection slots, in a highly competitive field. For further inquiries on housing next year, questions can be sent to housing@sandiego.edu.

This academic year, during Coach Moore’s first season, hazing allegations came out against his team.

Emma-Kate Squires/The USD Vista

RONNIE SAENZ ASST. OPINION EDITOR

OPINION

Heroes to zeros? Why superhero media needs to change or die

Modern superheroes with capes, masks and tight spandex have been around since Superman debuted in 1938, but it feels like superheroes are more popular now than ever, making billions of dollars worth of blockbuster movies, merchandising, television shows and video games annually since the late 2000’s.

Superhero media has become a juggernaut (no association with the Marvel character) in mainstream media over the past two decades, but I’m afraid its now becoming oversaturated and unoriginal. This is best illustrated by the massive financial losses Marvel and DC have taken this past year. In the period of two months Marvel had two flops: “The Marvels” and “Madame Web.”

“The Marvels” was the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) lowest grossing film of all time, and “Madame Web,”which was produced by Sony in association with Marvel, grossed only $100 million against its $80 million budget.

“Madame Web” is also widely regarded as one of the worst superhero movies of all time, earning a twelve percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Not to mention DC studios’ underwhelming “The Flash” movie lost $200 million at the box office, which is a big bomb in the studio’s history.

Marvel and DC are supposed to be the gold standard in superhero media, yet they have been flopping hard this year. It seems the only way out is to change which products are greenlit, or go bankrupt.

The sheer amount of superhero media released in such a short period of time has become overwhelming for many viewers, including myself.

Marvel Studios, which has been spearheading the superhero craze, released five movies, four TV shows and three video games in 2023 alone. They’re still going strong, as the studio has five new movies planned and a new “Wolverine” video game slated for this year.

It’s exhausting, and the worst part is that we’re expected to consume all of this media to understand the greater overarching narrative. I am not spending 20 hours of my time watching the same superhero movie with a different coat of paint just so I can get the whole life story of Baddie McBadGuy and why he wants to conquer the

multiverse or whatever. It seems like Marvel and the majority of the superhero industry has become more concerned with making as much content as possible over making stories worth telling. This is mostly due to the shift many companies are making to streaming services. The streaming service model requires a large influx of content to keep users subscribed longer, and that’s where superhero media comes in. Disney+ for example, has been releasing Marvel show after Marvel show for the past two years, releasing a new show nearly every two months.

I think the high output of movies would be acceptable, if the quality also kept up. This year, there were only two superhero movies and one show that I liked out of the dozens of releases this year. One of them was “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse” because of its ambitious cinematography and plot. It’s actually impressive that anything was good, given the short turnaround these films have.

You get a lot of the same movies, with the same messages and same tropes. You could probably take every superhero movie made in the past decade and only have four or five with an original plot or message. Many of them boil down to a fight of good versus evil, where the bad guy is an alien or foreigner that wants to change the world for the worse.

It doesn’t help that this feeds into superheroes’ very U.S.centric narrative, often having storylines that have not so subtle themes of U.S. nationalism.

Sure, the superhero industry is still lucrative, and many will say that’s all that matters. The system works, and many people still buy superhero products. In fact the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is the highest-grossing movie franchise of all time, earning a total of $11.9 billion in box office revenue, which is double the earnings of the runner up franchise: Star Wars.

The issue is that they can’t

keep it up forever. Audiences will eventually get tired of superheroes and move on to something else. An example of this happening was the Young Adult (YA) Dystopia craze in the 2010’s. While not as popular as superheroes are today, audiences loved this genre, such as the critically acclaimed series “The Hunger Games.” Yet, the genre fell into obscurity because it didn’t evolve. The pinnacle of this mediocrity is the “Divergent” book series. It stripped down all of the elements of YA novels to its bare parts: teenage girl protagonist who didn’t fit in, the sexy/brooding

love interest with a secret soft side, the sorting/division of society and some evil villains. It simply used these tropes because they were popular, but didn’t add anything to the story.

“Divergent” wasn’t the only YA film that kept recycling the same tropes over and over again, and that’s what made audiences sick of the genre and stop watching. Yet, this is exactly what much of modern superhero media does. It simply follows the superhero formula and ships it without any regard for trying something new in the genre or giving their own unique message. While superhero media is still seeing profits, this is the future of superheroes too, if they don’t change.

The tropes and stories are what make superhero media so popular, but personally there are only a few pieces of superhero media I enjoy, because so many play out the same way. The Amazon Studios series “The Boys” challenges many of these tropes by depicting superheroes as egotistical celebrities. Even “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse” which came out in 2023, challenged the norms of digital animation and made one of the most spectacular looking films I’ve ever seen.

Superheroes may not be going anywhere soon, especially with the numerous upcoming Marvel films, a new list of DCU movies and more recently season 2 of “Invincible” last March. I’m not optimistic, but I’m sure the industry will be making a profit in the upcoming years. Superhero media can be good, but the industry needs to put in the additional effort into making something we’ve never seen before.

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 classic image of a muscular, cape-wearing superhero has had a good run, but it has also become a tired cliché. Photo courtesy of Esteban López/Unsplash

Since the rise of Superman comics in the 1930s, the superhero narrative has predominated popular imagination. Photo courtesy of Mika Baumeister/Unsplash

LILY ANDERSON ASST. OPINION EDITOR

OPINION

Bored in the boardroom? The value of pursuing passion first in career

Over the past few months, I spent hours applying to internships that I felt zero excitement about. I was simply doing it because I thought I had to. Recently, I had an epiphany. I have the rest of my life for a “serious” job. Instead, I decided to find a job outdoors and near the water that would provide me with new skills and feel more like play than work. Now, I cannot wait to get started.

As we get closer to summer and graduation ceremonies, many students find themselves at a critical crossroads. The pressure to secure an internship at a prestigious firm or land a position promising a secure future is growing. However, another option — often ignored yet very beneficial — lies alongside these paths: the “fun job.”

The standard narrative suggests that early career choices must be strategically aimed at long-term benefits to be practical. This view is not without value. Internships and corporate jobs provide experience, networking opportunities and a strong foundation in a competitive job market. But they aren’t the only options worth considering, especially during a phase of life begging for exploration

and personal development.

Fun jobs — characterized by their relaxed environments, unconventional roles or alignment with personal passions — are well-suited for the transitional era after graduation or during summer breaks. These opportunities present a compelling case for those looking to infuse joy and personal satisfaction into their professional lives.

That being said, the flexibility to pick between jobs is definitely a luxury. Not everyone has the financial freedom to follow fun over a paycheck. However, many internships are unpaid or offer minimum wage, making

a unique job with comparable pay even more enticing. These enjoyable positions are surprisingly effective at cultivating soft skills, otherwise known as “people skills,” which are crucial across all professions. These soft skills can include the leadership traits, adaptability and problem-solving skills that one might develop through managing activities at a summer camp or the customer service expertise one could gain from working in a local bookstore. Such environments require high interpersonal communication abilities and crisis management knowledge, just like the pressures in more structured corporate

environments. These skills aren’t exclusively exercised in formal office settings, so having them will put you at an advantage over others in the future.

You may also learn skills you weren’t expecting to learn that prove themselves to be important later on. I learned accounting skills through my first job working as a dock hand when I was 16, skills I otherwise wouldn’t have learned for years.

Engaging in work that sparks personal interests can also significantly boost creativity and motivation. Jobs that align with one’s passions lead to a greater sense of fulfillment and inspire innovative ideas that might be stifled in more traditional roles. Whether the job is spending a summer working at an art gallery or assisting on a marine biology expedition, these experiences can ignite a lifelong passion and possibly direct your career path in unexpected but more fulfilling ways.

Another key advantage of choosing a fun job is its potential to reduce early career burnout – a growing concern among young professionals today and a feeling we’ve all definitely felt as the semester comes to a close.

Stepping into a high-pressure environment immediately after graduation can be overwhelming, lead to imposter syndrome and drain you of any excitement you

originally had. Fun jobs provide a necessary pause and a chance to recharge. This break is a breather supporting mental health and future professional performance. Networking opportunities also occur in these less conventional settings. Fun jobs often involve interacting with a diverse array of people, from fellow enthusiasts to seasoned professionals. These connections can be as valuable as those made through internships and corporate positions, often leading to unexpected opportunities and insights.

While the appeal of a traditional career path is strong, it’s important to remember that unconventional, seemingly less severe jobs have substantial merits. These roles offer more than just a paycheck; they provide joy, real-world skills and unexpected professional growth. They underscore the truth that sometimes, the path that fuels the soul is indeed the best path possible.

This summer or after graduation, if you find yourself drawn to a job that speaks more to your heart than to your resume, it might just be the right choice. Every job can teach valuable lessons; sometimes, the best opportunities come from the most unexpected places. Choosing the fun job isn’t a detour — it’s just a different route.

Reflections from a graduating senior A

USD Vista senior’s parting

thoughts, as class of 2024

ABIGAIL CAVIZO ASSOCIATE EDITOR

When COVID-19 happened in 2020 and everything changed, I had zero to little faith that anything would go back to as it was. This would define our class as the “COVID class” — an unlucky name for those who never got a true ending to high school, or a real beginning to college. During our time at USD, I’d describe our class as “scrappy.”

Our first year was what I’d come to refer to as “the wild, wild west” — a time in which classes were online, there were no upperclassmen to model our behavior off of, and the only people on campus were us: around 500 firstyear students who were forced into the isolation of whatever dorm or hall we were assigned to.

Sophomore year was the time that we had to bring

ourselves back to reality. For the first time, we were going to experience life as real college students, outside of the “summer camp” that was our first year at USD. This meant trying to find extracurriculars, and pretending to know our way around, even though USD had technically been our home for a year already.

Finding my niche as a college student came surprisingly easy for me, in The USD Vista. It gave me a place to realize my words matter — even if it was just for my little college community.

Junior year was the first “real” year of college without any masks or regulations, but the feeling that everything could be taken away at any moment never went away.

This feeling was a lasting impression from our experience coming into college. The feeling that at any given moment — despite how happy I was or any

accomplishment I achieved — everything could be taken away from me. I was always waiting for “the other shoe to drop.”

Now, as a graduating senior, I realize I don’t have to be afraid for something bad to happen. For the first time in these past 17 years of education, I don’t have a plan for my life.

Post graduation life is a looming monster of “whatifs” — scary and liberating all at once. I used to think that going to college would be the most freeing experience, especially post-COVID-19.

Now, I hope to use the tools, experiences, friendships and connections that I’ve made at USD to make something of myself and live as authentically and as freely as I can.

For those who are afraid, you don’t need to be waiting for the next bad thing to happen, to restrict the happiness you feel in the moment. The shoe doesn’t need to drop.

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.

A traditional office job may provide some skills, but not the perks of a ‘fun job.’

Photo courtesy of Brooke Cagle/Unsplash

A view of the sunset from the newsroom, SLP 403B. Photo courtesy of Abigail Cavizo/The USD Vista

The ups and downs of situationships

ARTS & CULTURE Anticipating summer

Highlighting student summer expectations and memories

CAMERON TRAYLOR

ASST. A&C EDITOR

Anticipation fills the air as students prepare for the arrival of the summer. Summer spans from festival grounds to road trips to exotic destinations. The summertime awakens and welcomes endless possibilities for people to experience and enjoy. As warmer temperatures signal the approach of the summer season, so do different mottos, affirmations and travel tips that are seen throughout the world. As temperatures increase, so does the list of activities and events going on in the world and even in your hometown. The spring time is usually a preparation time and a showcase of what the warmer days are usually going to look like.

There’s countless options for summertime festivities, including hiking trails, water activities, outdoor concerts and culinary festivals. Families can curate quality time together at museums, wildlife conservations and amusement parks. Adventure seekers can go on thrilling, exhilarating adventures like hot air balloon flights, white-water rafting and zip-lining. Relaxing pastimes like stargazing at night, relaxing in the park, or going to outdoor movie screenings are great ways to unwind and spend time with loved ones for individuals who like

approaching life at a slower pace.

USD junior Morí Rumi talked about his past summer experiences.

“My favorite memory from last summer is going back to Turkey and exploring around, going to places I haven’t been as if I was a tourist in my own country, meeting up with old friends and having cookouts,” Rumi said.

Whatever your passion, summer is the time to explore new things and create treasured memories. Summer continues to be a timeless refuge, a haven of peace from the madness of the world around us, even as time goes on. Summer is the time of year for relaxing strolls and long days spent under the trees’ shade. Every day is an opportunity to start over, rediscover longforgotten pleasures and

create enduring relationships.

USD junior Aliyah Jones’ summer expectations consist of travel.

“Being in a new place and getting to see different places and meet new people. To create memories to look back on,” Jones identified.

Summer travelers are searching for a variety of experiences that meet their personal comfort levels, from busy urban escapes to peaceful nature retreats. There is a growing trend toward sustainable travel and more secluded destinations as people seek genuine global cultural immersion and are conscious of their impact on the environment.

The summer of 2024 seems to be a season of rediscovery and experience, whether it’s going on

worldwide travels or discovering undiscovered gems closer to one’s home. With so many vibrant flavors and seasonal treats that satisfy the senses and quench thirst, summer is a sensory feast. The season’s vivid colors and flavors are reflected in everything from refreshing beverages and farmfresh food to blazing barbecues and ice-cold desserts. Enjoying outdoor dining at your favorite restaurant or throwing a backyard BBQ with friends is a great way to appreciate the simple joys of delicious food and companionship throughout the summer.

USD senior Zach Mseitif reminisced about his previous summers.

“My favorite part of the summer was spending Fourth of July with all my friends…

Oh and getting to spend time with my family back home in Washington,” Mseitif said.

Of course, summertime brings up visions of sunny days and outdoor activities, but it also brings up the ideas of pressing environmental issues. Responsibility for the environment and sustainable practices have become crucial, in light of the threat posed by wildfires, rising temperatures, severe weather and increased air pollution during the summer season. There are many things we can do to lessen our influence on the environment while still enjoying everything summer has to offer, like cutting back on carbon emissions, saving water and preserving wildlife and natural ecosystems. We can guarantee that later generations can continue to take in the beauty and abundance of summer for many years to come by choosing wisely and pushing for change. As students prepare for the resounding brightness of the warm, sunny days, it brings us a time of reflection on the world and nature around us. Every summer inspires delight and gratitude for the world around us, from the vivid colors of a setting sun to the soft feel of a warm breeze. USD students cherish the memories and the shared experiences, especially the season of summer, that approaches us slowly, yet confidently and warmly.

070 Shake makes Torero Way quake

USD’s annual Olé Fest becomes a hit among students

CAROLINE KIRKPATRICK CONTRIBUTOR

USD’s annual spring Olé Fest not only electrified the immediate crowd, but shook the perimeter of the USD campus on May 3, 2024. With three artists gracing the audience with their presence, fans went wild for the beats laid down by Noluv James, NOTD and 070 Shake. Sophomore singer and rapper Noluv James was the student opening act. James captivated the audience with his beautiful vocals and effortless runs. No high notes were botched and no beats missed. Not only was his voice easy on the ears, but every song was distinguishable from one another, which is an overlooked, yet important aspect in music. He performed original songs that one could imagine hearing on the radio. Noluv’s stage presence was fueled by his fellow football players cheering him on. He talked to the audience as if it was a one-onone interaction. USD could sense his gratitude for simply being on stage. His mood enhanced the performance, and with 10 songs he rounded the set out at 30 minutes.

The non-USD opening act, one-half of a Swedish DJ duo called “NOTD,” brought the house

down for a 45 minute set. Tobias Danielsson took control of the stage without his counterpart, Samuel Brandt, who was stuck in Sweden. Although he arguably lacked a significant stage presence and only threw in an occasional “what’s up USD!,” he knew what the audience wanted to hear: remixes of “Murder on the Dancefloor” by Sophie EllisBextor, “Houdini” by Dua Lipa and “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” by ABBA, representing his Swedish heritage. His transitions were smooth and sly, surprising the audience with every song. The background visuals were unique to each song, ensuring the audience’s entertainment in every aspect.

The audience’s energy seemed a little low midway through the concert, but that didn’t phase Danielsson as he continued DJing with electric energy and genuinely having his own fun on stage. Headlining the night was American rapper and singer 070 Shake, along with a band. She opened with “Violent Crimes” by Kanye West, which blew away the audience. While it seemed there were some technical difficulties with the guitar, the band quickly bounced back. The opening visuals portrayed 070 Shake trudging through snow on barren land, intensifying

the mood. Contributing to the ambience was the heightened bass, whose vibrations could be physically felt by the audience.

The artist promoted her new album, “Petracola,” by playing a few unreleased tracks, all seeming to be accepted, with fans eagerly awaiting a release. Shake’s hit, “Guilty Conscience,” was a fan favorite and got everyone singing along. She was highly interactive, even giving a devoted fan the microphone to sing a verse. 070 Shake ended the night with their featured song, “Ghost Town” by Kanye West, bookending the hour-long set with Kanye songs.

In addition to the concert, TPB provided free french fries, milkshakes and games to round out the experience. All in all, students had a blast at the 2024 Olé Fest. USD junior student Addison McCrary shared her thoughts on the performance. “Even though not everyone knew all the words to 070 Shake’s songs, everyone was still having fun and she was good at keeping the crowd engaged,” McCrary said. USD first-year Alessandra Fiore agreed. “Amazing performers, amazing songs, amazing ambiance. A special experience to see one of my favorite artists on the university’s campus that will be remembered,” Fiore said.

San Diego has several beaches where you can go relax and enjoy your summer days.

Photo courtesy of @lajolla.ca/Instagram

A still of 070 Shake performing at USD’s Olé Fest last friday. Photo courtesy of Caroline Kirkpatrick/USD Radio

EDITORIAL Letter from the Editor-in-Chief

This academic year, I’ve spent so much time in the newsroom that my phone now mistakenly believes it is “home,” and identifies it as such in all photos taken there. Over the past three years that I’ve worked at The USD Vista, I’ve lived in four or five locations across the world, so from that standpoint, it’s no wonder why my phone is confused, but I always had the newsroom — SLP 403B — to come back to. It’s been a homebase for all operations and activities, but what really makes it “home,” is the sense of belonging and community that can be found there. Whatever topic you might be interested in writing and reporting about, it is here waiting for you to cover at The USD Vista, for the benefit of future classes to come. Over the last three years, we’ve covered many topics under the sun: concerts, fires, theft and crime, national politics, celebrity deaths, geopolitics, major university milestones, TV series, theater productions, movies,

book reviews — and even those weekly sports updates with Olivia Synek at 7 p.m. Whether you’ve applied to join next year’s staff, or just show up to SLP 403B any given Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. for pitch — maybe it will become your home next.

To all the past Exec members and staff of The USD Vista, who paved the way and served as an example for all that we’ve achieved this year; we couldn’t have done it without you.

Karisa Kampbell, who I have gotten to know first as my News Editor, then Editor-in-Chief and finally Director of Student Media Operations, it’s been a pleasure to work so closely with you as you climbed that ladder, and I’m lucky to have such a gracious boss and friend.

For this year’s Exec team: Abby Cavizo, Spencer Bispham and Maria Simpson, thank you for all that you’ve each taught me, and the serious effort that you’ve put into editing every single article of our 22 editions. Abby, you are a formidable force in the world, and don’t

ever forget it. I am sure that you’ll be traveling all over, so wherever you go, keep your time at The USD Vista in your heart.

Spencer, I admire your ability to be strong in your convictions and also openminded to other peoples’ needs, both things you are consistently intentional about.

Maria, I always appreciate your diligent approach to what you set your mind to. As a fellow introvert, I am always so grateful for your contributions, because you are so thoughtful.

To our Section Editors: Anjali Dalal-Whelan, Katie Foreman, Satvika Nitya, Khushi Patel, Emma-Kate Squires and Lauren Ceballos, you have all been the best. We couldn’t have asked for a more dedicated and talented group to collaborate with weekly. Best wishes wherever you go next.

And for Jackie Marquez, the next Editor-in-Chief for the 2425 academic year, I wish you all the luck in the world — even though you don’t need it. You already have everything that you

need to do an excellent job, and I know you’ll be both a wise and level-headed EIC. Stay calm and collected, take the days as they come. You never know what a day at The USD Vista will bring to your inbox, but we wouldn’t put ourselves through it unless we knew that it had the possibility to incrementally impact the student audience we serve.

To the USD students, I’ve heard anecdotes from people who wallpaper their dorm room or apartment with our newspaper. On rainy days, I’ve even seen it used as an umbrella. By far the most gratifying though is to see students reading or carrying a copy in their hand between classes, or seeing prospective students pick it up on their tour of USD — their first introduction to campus life. We love to hear students discuss an article or story we wrote, without knowing that we’re listening in (which is always).

In whatever way The USD Vista has played a role in your life this past year, it’s been a pleasure. I hope that

we’ve been able to loop you into what’s going on at USD, because this is your campus, and we strive to be your voice.

Our faculty advisor Gina Lew has many aphorisms which I’ve taken to heart and burned into my brain, including, “we’re nobody’s PR!” and “if it smells like s***, then it probably is.” But, in particular, Gina has reminded us before: “the stories never change. Only the names and the people change.”

This same principle of storytelling is also true about our very own organization, The USD Vista, which is approaching 60 years old. The names and the people working on staff at The USD Vista may change from year to year, but the story always stays the same: dedicated students working hard to foster a sense of community and engagement, both within our own Student Media organization — and out there, on USD’s campus. My very best, Colin Mullaney, Editor-in-Chief 2023-2024

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 USD Vista team for the 2023 to 2024 academic year.

Photo courtesy of Emily Leyva/USDtv

ARTS & FEATURE

How to: self-publish A guide for writing and publishing your own book

KATIE FOREMAN FEATURE EDITOR

The hardest part about doing anything is starting, which USD graduate student Addis Sansone can attest to after writing his new poetry book, “Sunflowers.” Writing a book can be a tricky enough process, but the most daunting step to some is then having to find a publisher. Sansone shared how he ended up self-publishing his book and the path that other students can take, if they have ever thought about writing/ publishing their own book. Here is a guide to self-publishing.

Step 1: write.

Sansone emphasized that it took him four to five years to write the entirety of his poetry book. He communicated that writing can be a very “in the moment” type of thing — he would jot down whatever came to mind, when he got inspired.

His advice for other writers is to keep moving forward with your writing, and stay true to your writing’s intentions.

“You just have to hold on to whatever your purpose or belief or theme you’re wanting to publish,” Sansone said. “You have to really, just believe in yourself. You have to just remind yourself, it’ll be worth it.”

Step 2: find guidance.

Sansone had been writing his poems for over four years, but once he had all the material, he didn’t know where to start.

“I had a lot of content, but I had no idea of what to do,” Sansone said.

Sansone found his mentor, Malachi Black, through the USD Writing Center.

“I went to the writing department and just asked,

‘Hey, I’m trying to publish a book. Who do I talk to?’ And that’s where they said ‘there’s a professor, Malachi Black. He is a poetry department lead.’ And so I went up to him and I scheduled a meeting with him, and he gave me this kind of guidance.”

Professor of English and Director of the Cropper Center for Creative Writing, Malachi Black, was a large part of Sansone’s publishing journey.

Sansone highlighted how crucial it is to have a mentor.

“Use the faculty members,” Sansone said. “The resources on this campus, although we’re small, there’s so much care… [students] will be successful due to just people caring and I think that’s what a small community [like USD] really provides.”

Having a mentor taught Sansone how to go about this process and be his own publisher.

“I recommended some reading to him and I also kind of made him aware of

the various opportunities that were available to him,” Black said. “There’s something in poetry that is healing, and resonant and restorative and also deepening… and poetry is a place of peace, with a fruitful provocation, certainly. But every poem is a temple in its own way.”

Black explained how he wants students to take advantage of writing resources on campus, including the Alcalá Review, a student-run literary magazine, creative writing events on campus, readings and other events through the Cropper Center for Creative Writing. He also encouraged students interested in writing and self-publishing to consider taking courses in creative writing and poetry.

“Everybody who’s pursuing an education at USD has a rare opportunity to access a number of experts in ways,” Black said. “You can really derive a lot of value from exposure to their expertise.”

Step 3: explore the options for publishing.

“There’s usually about three different ways to get published: get picked up by a publishing house — the most brutal, classic ideal that we have — we can publish academically, like academic journals or you can self publish and then do local events to create awareness,” Sansone said.

Black helped guide Sansone by being honest; he said that trying to go through a publishing agent could take around five years to get the book published.

So, Sansone decided he wanted to publish it himself — he went through a website called “BookBaby,” the platform that allowed him to publish “Sunflowers.”

Black also explained there is the platform blurb.com where students could publish their work.

Step 4: edit.

“[There were] a lot of weekends where I was just grinding in the morning just trying to review and re-edit and revise and revise and revise.”

The self-publishing platform, BookBaby, had specific formats and requirements for their submissions, which is why Sansone spent a lot of time editing his work. The overall process of submitting, revising and publishing took around 10 months.

Although the editing procedures took some time, Sansone asserted it was worth it.

Step 5: find an illustrator.

Taking an organic approach, Sansone reached out to the USD community for help.

“It sounds silly, but it’s actually highly effective to do the classic printing out brochures and ‘Help Wanted.’

… I put up a ‘help wanted, I’ll pay you $500 for illustrations.’”

Although it seemed like a shot in the dark, Sansone posted the signs on the bulletin boards across campus and eventually

had around 20 people reach out to him. He recommends this grassroots approach.

“You never know, it only takes one.”

Step 6: make finishing touches and print the books.

“The most rewarding part is that once you receive the physical copy for the first time, there’s an overwhelming amount of joy that you actually accomplished something that at one point is this vision and dream in your head that was non-tangible. And [you] know all the hours and weeks and years of effort.”

Sansone said he knows this journey can seem like a lot, but the last step of revision, illustration and getting the novel published is what will bring your voice into the world.

“Once you get it [done], it’s almost just unbelievable that you actually accomplished it.”

These are the steps Sansone took in order to publish his book of poetry and wanted to share, in order to help other students in reaching their own dreams and realize that they are possible while at USD.

“I think everyone has an extremely beautiful way to show the world themselves and it’s just a matter of taking the time to do that,” Sansone said.

Through the support of USD staff and students, Sansone was able to make his dream of publishing his own work come true.

Black reflected on why writing is so important to him.

“Language that makes its own music. And it’s a very, very irreplaceable and inimitable resource, so I just wish poetry for all, and especially for all of our students,” Black said.

To other students wanting to pursue poetry or self-publishing, it can happen. Starting may be the hardest part, but with the end goal in mind and the encouragement of the USD community, it is possible.

Sansone smiling at the support he received during his reading in O’Tooles for his new poetry book ‘Sunflowers.’

Photo courtesy of Jessica Applonie

The USD Writing Center and Cropper Creative Writing Center supports students in writing and publishing. Photo courtesy of Robert Anasch/Unsplash

SPORTS

‘I

hate sports...’

The fun of live sports from a self-proclaimed sports hater

MARIA SIMPSON COPY EDITOR

I hate sports... Well, let’s back up. This is the Sports section afterall. “Hate” is a strong word. Let’s put it this way: I don’t exactly jive with sports. I don’t understand a lot of them, at least not enough to enjoy turning a game on or playing in a quick scrimmage.

It’s not that I haven’t given these activities a fair shot either. Football games continuously aired on my family’s TV for as long as I can remember. My dad taught me to raise my arms and yell “touchdown” by the time I was just one. I had brief sports careers in soccer, t-ball, gymnastics, ballet, cross country and swimming. Yet, something never quite clicked.

However, I do love going to sporting events. I have made countless amazing memories at games, and I almost always have a blast while there, (did you catch the “almost”) even if I don’t particularly care about the sport itself. I think live sporting events offer a great experience for anyone, and people should attend games more, especially on campus.

The atmosphere at live sporting events is part of the draw

for me, as it is with many fans, like USD senior Elle Kallsen.

“I enjoy certain sports for actual watching like basketball or soccer, but for a football game, just for the culture, for the fun, for the energy,” Kallsen said.

The buzz of tension, excitement and spirit in the air creates an unbeatable energy.

I attended the last home game for women’s volleyball in 2022, before the regional semifinals. The deafening silence that filled the Jenny Craig Pavilion (JCP) as everyone waited on the edge of their seats for a Torero victory sent shivers down my spine. The cheers as the crowd leapt

up in celebration was a moment of pure joy for all in the JCP.

Although I may not always have an attachment to a particular team winning, being surrounded by fans who do is always a great experience that gets my adrenaline pumping.

USD senior Julienne Desanto recently felt the same appreciation for sports fan culture.

“I went to a Padres game and didn’t watch any of it, I just love the energy,” Desanto said.

Engaging with the community is another reason why I love going to watch live sports. There are countless groups that

attendees are supporting just by being present. The athletes, coaches, halftime performers and vendors are just a few examples of the community members who rely on support from fans. It is particularly fun to offer support to student athletes, especially when they are your peers and friends. One of the main reasons that I go to USD football and basketball games is to support my friends on the cheer team. Student athletes, like USD junior Madison Mai-Prasarnsuk, find this kind of support important.

“I think athletic support is essential on any campus because alongside sporting events being fun, attendance at them is one of the most prominent demonstrations of school spirit,” Mai-Prasarnsuk said.

“Of course there is bias coming from me as a student athlete, but a common subject that my non-athlete friends and I discuss is that our one qualm with USD is our lack of school spirit, and I believe that begins with attendance at sporting events.”

Get out there and offer your friends and classmates the support they deserve. The best way to increase school spirit is to make that effort to engage in sports as a community.

Not only do I go to games

for my friends on the field, but I also go for my friends in the stands with me. I have made some of my best memories with my friends at the games that we have attended. Whether it was going to a San Diego Gulls’ game with my sorority sisters, ending up on the big screen at a USD basketball game doing the macarena with my roommate or having a Super Bowl party with my friends (even if it was partially motivated by Taylor Swift), sporting events have given me memories I can always look back on with a smile.

USD senior Julia Humphrey is a sports fan and enjoys the connections sports can bring.

“I really like sports. I think going to events is more fun than just watching them on TV. The ambience is there, the energy’s there. It’s fun to have some healthy competition with your friends, like maybe rooting for a different team than them… it bonds people,” Humphrey said.

My advice to others who don’t love sports is to try going to a game. Get a good group of friends together and enjoy the experience live sports provide. Especially on campus, engaging with your community in the spirit of a thrilling game will make for a fun and memorable time.

USD students explain riding the wave

PRIYA COOPER ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

The University of San Diego is unique for many reasons, one being its proximity to the beach and beautiful environment which allows for many activities that other universities are denied, such as surfing. The USD Surf team consists of around 30 students and is both non-competitive and competitive, allowing for duality and the ability for students to hone in on their skills and build community.

USD sophomores Evan Wall and Bella Gallagher are co-presidents of the surf team, and the team captain is USD senior Kasey Bowles. The Surf Team has around three regular season competitions per semester that they train for year-round. Some Toreros were able to compete in state competitions sanctioned by the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA), and this past semester the Toreros were given the chance to compete in States for the first time in years during the weekend of March 1.

Competitions are structured so there are multiple rounds with a winner at the end of each round. There’s typically the first three rounds with six people in a heat, lasting 15 minutes, allowing

A look inside the USD surf team

surfers to catch as many waves as they can within the timeframe. In those 15 minutes, all your waves are scored and then your top two waves are combined and that’s the total score.

Three students made it to round two, not making it past round two in the States. However at the third event for the team this year, five people made the quarterfinals, and the Toreros were placed 11 out of the 30 teams competing in Santa Cruz.

Another aspect to the surfing club at USD is that students can get credits for participating each semester. There is an A, B and C team organized by tryouts at

the start of the semester, and individuals can choose to join.

Evan Wall commented on how practices are typically run.

“We practice once a week, and it depends on the waves really, it’s very nature-dependent. We try to do it at least once a week and then we film all those practices and then do a video review with our team captain who’s unfortunately graduating but he was doing a lot of the coaching. We coach ourselves as a team and then do a video review. We usually go to Mission to practice just because it’s the closest and there’s usually not that many people, so it’s easy to film and get

a lot of footage of our team. As a team, we also just do unofficial practices at Blacks Beach or other beaches that are a little bit less accessible,” Wall stated.

Competitive teams tend to push themselves to reach higher levels of skill and performance, often achieving excellence in their field. They also allow the development of strong bonds as they work together to achieve common goals.

Wall gave more detail on how the club operates.

“With the competitive team, we have our tryouts at the beginning of each semester.

And so those are usually at one of the beaches that aren’t too crowded like Scripps or Mission Beach. And there we have our team captain and then sometimes other alumni come and judge those events. Then our leadership team will decide on our teams for the year if it was going to be our competitive members then who we’re going to, have them as extras or as a supplemental team and they’re also just involved with the club,” Wall explained.

Non-competitive teams also often prioritize building a strong sense of community, fostering long-lasting relationships and a positive atmosphere without the external pressures of competition. The surf team’s position as a team allows them

to achieve feats from both sides.

Wall explained how despite the individuality of the sport, surfing is acting as a team sport here at USD.

“Surfing is a very individual sport since it’s one person, but they make it a team sport. In your sub-team you have four guys who are short-borders, two girls short-borders, and then one long-border. And so you’re all competing together which is cool and introduces that team aspect to an individual sport. And then you have individual rankings within your team rankings which pushes you to support each other as a team and make sure all your people are getting through round one, round two, into the quarters and stuff like that,” Wall expanded.

Wall also talked about the joys of surfing and being a part of such a talented community.

“I’ve been surfing my whole life and it’s been a way for me to just kind of de-stress and just get myself into a place where it’s just me and I can be with myself in the ocean which is really cool. But then it also adds a team aspect where all your best friends are surfing with you or competing with you and it’s a social thing as well,” Wall said.

Surfing is an activity in San Diego that students are taking advantage of by joining the USD club team at all different levels.

Sports can be fun whether someone is a die hard fan or social supporter.

Photo courtesy of @usdmsoccer/Instagram

The waves are the equivalent to a field or a stadium for USD surfers.