Volume 60 Issue 9

THE USD VISTA

HALEY JACOB FEATURE EDITOR

Delta Lambda Phi (DPhi), a fraternity for queer men and LGBTQ+ allies, is in the process of joining the University of San Diego’s campus and will be the first queer fraternity at a religious university. The initiative to establish DPhi began with multiple sophomore men who wanted to create an inclusive social space for queer students on campus.

The idea to found DPhi was shaped by the men’s personal experiences of being gay students at USD. Three best friends: Jacob Aragon, Jake Lucko and Jackson Hinz spearheaded bringing the fraternity to USD. Alongside the men were other core founding members such as Giacomo Battaglia.

As members of the LGBTQ+ community, the founding men of DPhi were hesitant to attend USD.

Aragon had initial nerves about attending a Catholic university.

“My fear in going to a Catholic university was that I would have

to take a religion class, and they would preach about this or talk about that or I would have to go to church,” Aragon reflected.

“But so far everything has been very welcoming. It’s interesting, because USD is a very different Catholic university compared to others; for instance, if I went to a Catholic university in the south or midwest, it would be a very different experience.”

Lucko shared similar concerns with Aragon.

“Over the summer going into my freshman year, I was starting to think a little more about how the religion of the school would play into who I am and the friends I would make, and ultimately how I would express myself,” Lucko said.

Though both Aragon and Lucko had hesitations, USD’s “Queer Housing Initiative” eased their qualms. The LGBTQ+ and Allies Commons created the housing initiative, which allows queer students to connect and choose a potential roommate pairing. This initiative allowed the men to live with fellow queer students during their first year at USD. It was through this initiative that they formed the “J gays.”

“So us three: Jacob, Jake

Kirshnik Khari Ball, also known as Takeoff, of the Atlanta rap trio Migos was fatally shot on Nov. 1 in Houston, Texas, at a bowling alley.

According to the Houston Police Department, Takeoff was one of three individuals who were shot after a private party ended in an argument. Police are still searching for the shooter, and no arrests have been made currently.

Since releasing their first single “Versace” in 2013, the trio has been a staple for many fans of the rap genre. Takeoff was an instrumental part of Migos’ musical flow — specifically known

for his syncopation, which occurs when a variety of beats are played together to create an off-beat tune.

After nearly 10 years of stardom, Migos collaborated with artists such as Drake, Cardi B, Pop Smoke, Nicki Minaj and many more. They’ve released 14 albums, 44 singles and garnered over 18 million monthly Spotify listeners.

At only 28 years old, many were shocked when hearing the news of Takeoff’s sudden death. Among those surprised was USD senior Hailey Hirmez.

“I was very shocked,” Hirmez said. “I actually saw it on TikTok first and didn’t know if it was a rumor, because it just came out of nowhere.”

With songs like “Bad and

Boujee,” “Fight Night,” “Walk It Talk It” and more, many listeners were captivated by the group’s fast-paced lyrics and party-esque beats.

Smale is a fan of various Migos songs.

in high school. My favorite song was ‘Stir Fry,’” Smale said.

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

‘The bird is freed’

USD students discuss Elon Musk buying Twitter

SALENA CHACON ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Elon Musk, founder of companies such as Tesla and SpaceX, bought Twitter in a $44 billion deal finalized on Oct. 27. Following this acquisition, Musk fittingly changed his Twitter bio to “Twitter Complaint Hotline Operator,” as many Twitter users were vocal about their grievances.

Following the buyout, Musk made Twitter a private company. This switch means he is not obligated to share as much information about the status of Twitter as he would if it had remained public. Musk took over Twitter with significant financial troubles, according to the New York Times, and his decision to privatize Twitter will potentially alleviate public scrutiny over finances.

In addition to making Twitter private, Musk already made large staff cuts, eliminating around 3,700 jobs. According to the New York Times, these job losses were sudden, and many employees were not explicitly told that they were laid off, causing confusion and anger. Musk cited that the reason behind these cuts were because Twitter was rapidly losing money.

Major changes have yet to be implemented. Musk claimed to be waiting until after the midterm elections to begin making developments on the app. This decision was solidified after a discussion between Musk and civil rights groups, according to the New York Times.

Among some of the changes Musk wants to make to the app are a loosening of language restrictions, less ads and an $8 a month charge to remain verified.

USD sophomore Julianna Escamilla uses Twitter to scroll through headlines and as her first major source for breaking news. However, Musk buying the app has caused her to doubt whether she should be using it as frequently.

“Now that I know [Musk] is the one that owns it, I definitely use it less,” Escamilla noted. “I’m having a hard time processing the fact that he bought Twitter.”

USD sophomore Lauren Zweber is also a Twitter user, and was similarly shocked that Musk took over.

“I think it’s a little weird,” Zweber said. “I had heard before that he only wanted to buy it so that he can control what’s said on Twitter, because I know whoever owned it before was deleting stuff that was spreading misinformation. And I heard that Elon Musk did not like that, so he’s buying it so that everyone can just say what they want.”

Musk revealed his intentions of buying the app in a Tweet directed toward advertisers, who were unsure of whether they should continue placing ads on the app due to uncertainty around Musk’s plans for Twitter.

“The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence,” Musk wrote in a Tweet on Oct. 27.

In this announcement, Musk voiced his fears that social media is becoming a breeding ground for political extremes, and that this polarization is limiting dialogue between both sides.

The dialogue Musk wants

to encourage is also meant to be less restrictive, as Musk is a staunch supporter of free speech. The day after he bought Twitter, he tweeted, “Comedy is now legal on Twitter.”

Some Twitter users, like Zweber, are concerned that this move toward more freedom in what can and cannot be said on the app will cause hateful speech to proliferate.

“Everyone can say what they want, but when it’s spreading misinformation and conspiracies, that does more harm than good,” Zweber expressed.

Escamilla pointed out that a dangerous aspect of less restrictive dialogue is its ability to alter beliefs or opinions, regardless of its accuracy.

“I know that a lot of people, especially the people that use Twitter, are easily influenced and so I think when you don’t have a censor on false information, people’s opinions can be influenced,” Escamilla said.

Although Musk wants the app to become a space where people can freely voice their opinions, he emphasized on Twitter that content will still be monitored.

“Twitter’s content moderation council will include representatives with widely divergent views, which will certainly include the civil rights community and groups who face hate-fueled violence,” Tweeted Musk on Nov. 1.

One feature that Musk voiced support for on Twitter is

Birdwatch, in which users can sign up to review information written in tweets, which can clarify content that is inaccurate or deceptive. Birdwatch notes will be featured along with the tweet if the note receives feedback from other contributors that it is necessary.

In addition to content inspection, Musk plans to charge users $8 a month to be verified.

USD sophomore Noah Huang does not blame Musk for charging for verification statuses.

“He deserves it; it’s kind of funny seeing a billionaire spend billions of dollars,” Huang said.

“There’s already been people who have taken advantage of trying to impersonate Elon Musk, so now that they have to pay for their verification, it’s biting them back.”

Musk has not addressed safety concerns on Twitter regarding paying for verification. His main motivation for this charge is to change the power dynamic of the app, regarding the current verification system as one where those verified by the app have power over those who aren’t verified.

Celebrities, such as prolific writer Stephen King, have spoken out against Musk on Twitter, claiming that they would not pay for verification.

Others have cited concerns about being impersonated.

Musk is also firm in his stance on lessening advertisements. Although ads make up the majority of the money Twitter generates, Musk insists that lessening the number of ads while increasing their relevancy to the user will make ads something enjoyable and not annoying.

“I also very much believe that advertising, when done right, can delight, entertain and inform you; it can show you a service or product or medical treatment that you never knew existed, but is right for you,” Musk Tweeted.

Changes in language, staff, verification and advertising are the main avenues Musk is navigating in his new role as the owner of Twitter. Musk’s takeover has called into question the validity of social media as a productive means of dialogue, both politically and otherwise.

Many students, like Escamilla, mainly use Twitter as a means of learning new information. With changes to one of her significant news sources, Escamilla doubts whether social media can be trusted.

“It’s almost hard to believe what’s on social media all the time,” Escamilla admitted.

The reality and impact of these changes will be seen as Musk continues to unroll his plans for the app.

Poberezhnnik/Unsplash

Musk wants Twitter to be a space where all beliefs can be expressed.

Photo courtesy of @newsmax/Instagram

Elon Musk’s first tweet as the official owner of Twitter.

Photo courtesy of @elonmusk/Twitter

Musk Tweeted a picture of this shirt, poking fun at the memes people have made about the verification system. Photo courtesy of @elonmusk/Twitter

The Supreme Court revisits affirmative action

USD students discuss possible implications

LUCAS HODSON ASST. NEWS EDITOR

ABIGAIL CAVIZO NEWS EDITOR

Affirmative action is a program conscious of students’ race when individuals apply for college. Race is considered in the application process, because by – recognizing it — this program is acknowledging the racial barriers students may or may not have faced in their educational endeavors. Beginning in the late 1960s and 1970s, universities started to implement affirmative action into their admission decisions. On Monday, Oct. 31, 2022, The Supreme Court started hearing arguments about whether race should play a role in college admissions through the policy of affirmative action, but it has not yet made a decision on the cases.

The Court will hear two separate cases, one from Harvard University located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and another from the University of North Carolina. These schools were chosen because the challengers, in these cases, stated that the schools violate equal protection principles and that they discriminate against Asian American students. Both schools claim that a diverse student body is necessary to achieve their educational mission.

Eight states have banned affirmative action from being used for admission to colleges: Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Washington.

USD sophomore Julia Swenson-Wilker stated that, while race can be important in background and identity, it should not take precedence over qualifications.

“I don’t think race alone should be a deciding factor, but what they have been through, where they are from and other factors like that should be considered,” Swenson-Wilker said.

First-year Ryan Clemens thinks minority students are at a disadvantage because of the American public school system.

“I think that the stats show the issue with the school system in America. Depending on the neighborhoods and wealth/ class people grow up, they

are given less opportunities and are already starting at a disadvantage,” Clemens said.

USD sophomore Christian Thames stated that while USD is predominantly white, they do offer a lot of programs for minority students.

“USD is a private school and the price is up there, and I would say that it definitely prevents minority students from being able to attend as much as they want to. Besides lowering tuition and making more viable programs for minority students, I don’t know of anything else they can do to make the school more diverse,” Thames said. “They do provide a lot of support for different multicultural groups on campus and that is something that is beneficial.”

California is not one of the eight states that ban affirmative action. USD Admissions states on the USD website that they have a holistic application process.

USD gave a statement about their application process:

“The University of San Diego (USD) places great value on having a campus community with a rich diversity of people and ideas and supports our role as a contemporary Catholic institution. USD follows a holistic applicant review process that allows the admissions staff to evaluate each individual thoroughly, valuing both academic accomplishments and personal qualities and stories, to the fullest extent allowed by law.”

If the Supreme Court removes affirmative action, colleges such as Harvard and UNC assert that there will be a drop in Black and Hispanic students going to their schools. They also stated that race is almost impossible to eliminate in the decision process, because many of their students’ identities come from their race or ethnicity. Their argument pulls from an overarching debate about ‘colorblind racism.’ This term refers to viewing people of color without their race in mind, minimizing the experiences they may have endured due to the color of their skin.

While California will not be affected, many schools and minority students could be impacted by the decision about affirmative action. The Supreme Court is likely to come to a decision about affirmative action sometime in 2023.

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.

Harvard University is one of the colleges that the Supreme Court is hearing about affirmative action. Photo courtesy of @harvard/Instagram

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas spoke out against affirmative action.

Photo courtesy of @mercurial_era/Instagram

OPINION

The Pfizer vaccine should remain free

Increased costs for the consumer are greedy

JACKIE MARQUEZ ASST. OPINION EDITOR

America’s commercial approach to medicine is now affecting COVID-19 vaccines. Last month, Pfizer, a pharmaceutical company and major producer of COVID-19 treatments, announced that they plan to raise the cost of their coronavirus vaccines. Their plan will nearly quadruple the current price. According to Reuters, the company plans to charge between $110 and $130 per dose. The vaccine is currently free to Americans through the U.S. government’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, but the government pays around $30 a dose. However, if the company follows through with their plan to raise prices by 2023, this will soon change.

Changing prices would drastically increase Pfizer’s revenue, but it would also make the vaccine less accessible. In raising their prices, Pfizer demonstrates the pharmaceutical greed America has grown accustomed to. With drug companies charging unreasonable prices for necessary medicines, legislation capping the cost of drugs is necessary to ensure Americans have access to medications they need.

With this price change, Pfizer is boosting their profits. According to Oxfam, a charity dedicated to crisis relief, it costs Pfizer as little as $1.20 a dose to produce the vaccine. Forbes estimates that this price inflation will gain the company between $2.5 billion and $3 billion in revenue. The uptick in price is far from acceptable. This additional profit would likely go toward their value on Wall Street rather than additional research or development.

As research by Lazonick et al. titled “Financialization of the U.S. Pharmaceutical Industry” shows, large pharmaceutical companies are more likely to spend extra income on stock buybacks and cash dividends, rather than further innovation. Stock buybacks, the process of rebuying a company’s own shares and providing cash dividends, a payment to stockholders, increases the value of the company’s shares. Forbes reports that in previous years, Selling, General and Administrative spending made up 34 percent of Pfizer’s total expenditure. Research and development only made up 19 percent. While Pfizer and other

drug companies still devote a portion of that revenue to the further development and production of products, this disproportionate spending comes across as greedy.

The company’s goal is to commercialize the vaccine. Rather than the government subsidizing it, individuals would have to pay out of pocket or go through their insurance company to get vaccinated. This is standard protocol for other drugs, but it’s a relatively new practice for the COVID-19 treatments. In August, Eli Lilly, a company that produces antibody treatment for COVID-19 patients, allowed its products to be sold commercially. Although commercialization is standard in our healthcare system, this change in vaccine distribution makes the treatments less accessible, especially for lower income individuals.

Under the U.S. government’s policy, the vaccine is universally accessible. Anyone can get the COVID-19 vaccine regardless of insurance coverage. In a commercial market, the vaccine would be virtually free to those with insurance, but costly to those without. The Department of Health and Human Services reports that eight percent of Americans are uninsured.

In an analysis done by the Kaiser Family Foundation, most uninsured Americans are low-income individuals who are more impacted by

the expense of insurance. Commercialization in turn contributes to cycles of poverty.

Low income individuals and families may be unable to pay for insurance because of its price. If they were to need medical treatment in the future, they would have to pay out of pocket, which leads to higher medical bills. In fact, the Kaiser Family Foundation reported that people without insurance are twice as likely to have issues paying medical debts than those with insurance. A lack of insurance coverage means a lack of affordable treatment in the short term and potential long-term health issues, or debt as a result.

Raising prices of vaccines and boosters makes them less accessible to low-income individuals. Although COVID-19 cases and related deaths have decreased over the last few months, the California State Government reports that there is still a daily average of 2,460 cases in the state, and thousands of people a day are still receiving vaccines. COVID-19 is still a real threat. In making vaccines less accessible, Pfizer potentially threatens control of the disease. Their change in price has consequences that can lead to illness and or death.

In quadrupling the vaccine’s price and moving toward commercialization, Pfizer is acting like a typical pharmaceutical company. However, this norm must be

changed. Companies should care more about their impact on patients than their own profits. Until patients and their treatments become the priority, it is imperative that the government steps in to prevent companies from exploiting their customers.

Legislation capping the prices of medicines must be implemented. This year President Biden passed the Inflation Reduction Act which requires the federal government to negotiate the prices of certain

medication covered under Medicare. It also caps the cost sharing of insulin to $35 for people with Medicare. This act is a start, but it only targets unfair pricing for Medicare enrollees. It does little for those without insurance. Legislation should be targeted at corporations and set a standard for the pricing of medicine.

Pfizer should be held accountable for its price gouging of vaccines, and legislation setting a price cap for key medicines would do just that.

The views expressed in the opinion section are not necessarily those of The USD Vista staff, the University of San Diego, or its student body.

Despite the low cost to manufacture the vaccine, Pfizer is upping prices which displays the typical greedy qualities of pharmaceutical companies.

Photo courtesy of Brano/Unsplash

Raised prices may prevent more Americans from getting COVID vaccinated.

Photo courtesy of Mufid Majnun/Unsplash

OPINION

Combating seasonal depression

Remember that you are not alone

SPENCER BISPHAM ASST. OPINION EDITOR

JACKIE MARQUEZ ASST. OPINION EDITOR

There’s no denying that fall is an exciting time of year. It’s the start of a new school year, pumpkin spice latte season and the anticipation of upcoming holidays is in the air. All of these things are great, but they can also feel overwhelming, especially for students. During the fall and winter months, stress can push us to a darker place: seasonal depression. Some people don’t understand it can be much more than just “feeling down,” which is why it’s important to recognize the symptoms and know how to combat them. From personal experience, reaching out to others for support is the best way to do so.

Also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), it is a form of depression that occurs at the same time every year, cyclically. Most commonly, this is from fall to the end of winter. Though it is unique to this time of year, the severity of SAD is on-par with other types of clinical depression (specific to the individual). The specific cause of this condition is unknown, but researchers have theorized about the factors that may contribute to it.

According to the Mayo

Clinic, the decrease in sunlight that happens during fall and winter months disrupts your biological clock as well as a host of other chemicals in your brain. Your circadian rhythm, the body’s internal clock, regulates your 24 hour sleep cycle.

When they’re thrown off, your sleeping patterns are disrupted. This causes a decrease in serotonin levels, a chemical that regulates mood, as well as an influx of melatonin, a hormone that affects when and for how long you sleep. Because of this, SAD is associated with symptoms such as feelings of sadness, lack of energy, loss of interest in activities, oversleeping and overeating.

On top of that, seasonal depression comes around at an incredibly inconvenient time. For students, the change in season is accompanied by a variety of other obstacles such as exams, sickness and burnout.

Here at USD, midterms typically start in late September and continue through October. Finals take place in midDecember. Students spend hours upon hours studying for tests, writing papers and composing projects. These exams are beyond stress-inducing, and they happen during SAD’s prime time. When you pair this with the struggles of seasonal depression, school becomes overwhelming. The lack of energy and motivation that is caused by

SAD takes the stress of midterms and makes it unmanageable. This stress leads to more than just exam season struggles. If left unchecked, seasonal depression can contribute to academic burnout. Defined in a study by Oloidi et. al, academic burnout refers to “exhaustion and disengagement symptoms experienced by students due to long-term exposure to specific school demands.” This burnout is correlated with disengagement in classes, lower grades, decreases in motivation and negative feelings toward oneself.

Trying to manage both SAD and academic stress is hard enough, but on top of that you’re also balancing a social life and personal responsibilities. This juggling act is near impossible to keep up, and often leads to isolation and social withdrawal. When you’re emotionally and mentally exhausted, it’s difficult to pour your limited energy into other people.

All of this information begs the question: what can be done to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder? The simplest answer is to “take care of yourself,” according to Mayo Clinic, but under that broad statement are a myriad of possibilities. There are the standard choices, such as counseling or medication, but for many people these things can be either too much or not enough.

Depending on how SAD manifests in you, certain

activities could be helpful in different ways. For me, when dealing with SAD, I tend to withdraw. I’ve missed class, parties and career opportunities because I simply just couldn’t make it out of bed. I become irritable and tired, so I isolate myself so as not to let these behaviors become a burden to friends or family.

Over the years I have learned that withdrawing only makes my symptoms worse. Letting others know how I’m feeling really does help. I try to be honest with people about how I’m doing and include myself in different social events to stay connected with my support system. For example, I went to the Lucky Stars vintage market recently with a friend and did some shopping. It was hard to get myself in a good mental health space to go, but it was a healing experience and a necessary reminder that I’m not alone.

When you’re in the throes of SAD it can sound corny, but the reality is there’s no reason to go through it alone. Whether we talk about it or not, more people are affected by the condition than we think. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, about 7.1% of the U.S. population deals with SAD every year, and that’s just people with a formal diagnosis. We live in an environment that encourages students to build a support network which encompasses

multiple forms of aid. Go to a concert, see a movie, chat with a friend, treat yourself to something new or snuggle up with a good book. Sometimes taking care of yourself just means surviving; do whatever you need to do to get through the day. Communication is also key; letting trusted family, friends and professors know what’s going on reduces your stress.

This is a stressful time of year for everyone. It’s exciting to be back at USD, but the expectations that we should always be productive, creative, excited and contribute to the community are unreasonable when held at the same time.

There are many resources here to alleviate symptoms of SAD. You can schedule an appointment at the counseling center through your student portal, you can participate in USD Wellness events, you can even go work out at the Bosley or McNamara Fitness Centers. There are many options you can try, and it’s okay to take things at your own pace. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your problems may not go away that fast either.

The most important thing to remember is that there are people who love, support and care about you. If you’ve felt, or feel a shift in your behavior, don’t hesitate to reach out and let someone else know. It will make all the difference to your mental health.

The views expressed in the opinion section are not necessarily those of The USD Vista staff, the University of San Diego, or its student body.

With rainy and cold weather setting in, many students may be dealing with seasonal depression.

Maria Simpson/The USD Vista

ARTS & FEATURE

Redefining brotherhood DPhi hopes to inspire inclusivity and community

DPhi from Page 1 and Jackson, were at our dorm last year, [and] a lot of people would come over and say they are coming to the ‘J gays,’ and the name stuck,” Aragon explained. “When I talk about my experience [of] being accepted at USD, it’s largely because of that.”

The University does provide resources and spaces for LGBTQ+ students, though Aragon believes there could be more for the community.

“There are resources for the queer community on campus, but they are really small or mainly around group therapy, which is needed, [but] there need to be spaces where people [can] go to and completely talk about the lives they have to go through,” Aragon expressed. “I think there needs to be a bigger community, social and even philanthropy aspects. We live right next to Hillcrest, which is the epicenter for the LGBTQ+ Community [in San Diego], and it feels like there isn’t much community outreach.”

The two men recall considering joining a fraternity at USD to get to know more people and get what they call a “classic college experience.” However, when thinking about it more, it wasn’t a process they felt comfortable with.

“I did think about rushing, but — at the end of the day — I would have had to be a different version of myself, a version of myself that I was in high school and middle school,” Lucko said. “After I came out of my shell, it would have been difficult to go back to such a period in my life where I was conforming to the norm.”

Aragon shared similar thoughts to Lucko about rushing, and ultimately worried about the environment of fraternities.

“A lot of people said, ‘you should just rush; everyone is going to be nice about it!’ That can be true to an extent, but the system of fraternity life is so innately, predominantly masculine and heterosexual,” Aragon explained. “I don’t want to compromise myself for a pledging event; I don’t want to change the way I act, just to appeal to a good fraternity or my ‘brothers.’”

After deciding that rushing a fraternity wasn’t for them, they came up with the idea of starting DPhi. It all began in conversation in their first-year dorm, though they shared it wasn’t with any serious intention at the start.

“It was actually kind of a joke at first, that we would start our own fraternity,” Aragon said. “But then during the second semester when rushing occurs for freshmen, it set in that rushing wasn’t a space I felt comfortable with, and I felt like I was missing out on an integral experience everyone should have the opportunity to participate in. So Jake and

I sat down and we thought, ‘I think we have the capability to start it,’ so that’s how it ended up happening. It was random.”

Soon after, they started taking steps to bring DPhi to USD, though it was no easy process. It began with petitioning to DPhi’s national organization by drafting them a 35-page letter discussing their goals and intentions. From there, each member had to do an individual interview with an alumnus of the organization. They had to do a similar process with USD of defining their objectives and purpose in bringing DPhi to the school. The founders are waiting for the fraternity to become an official student organization and expect the title this semester.

The campus community can expect the fraternity to begin hosting events, tabling at the Alcalá Bazaar, and recruiting

prospective members next semester in the spring. DPhi is on track to become officially recognized by the University as a fraternity chapter by Spring 2024.

Aragon claims the University has been supportive and encouraging throughout the approval process.

“I have heard a lot of support from faculty, staff and students,” Aragon said. “They are all saying it’s about time we have something like this at a religious institution, especially at USD.”

Though the process of bringing DPhi to USD has been arduous, Lucko elaborated on what keeps them continuing in their efforts.

“This would be the first gay fraternity at a Catholic institution, for the first time in history, ” Lucko said. “Having that goal in mind and having such gravity and the importance of this fraternity being created reminds

us that, even though the process is tedious and monotonous, we need to keep going.”

Not only has USD been supportive of DPhi, but so have other fraternities and sororities.

“I had to get letters of support from other Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) organizations on campus,” Aragon said. “I asked all sororities and two fraternities and they were all very supportive as well.”

Though Aragon and Lucko acknowledge having DPhi on campus would personally benefit them, they attribute the work they are doing to creating a more inclusive, accepting future for incoming queer students.

“I envision and hope the incoming queer students finally have an opportunity to feel ‘normal,’” Aragon explained. “They are going to go to a school where they know they are going

to feel awkward, because it is prominently heterosexual institution and it’s religious, so already off the bat they are going to feel a little different.”

But no matter what, they can turn to this social fraternity, if they wish, where they are going to feel completely normal. And, of course, our goal is to create community and let people know they have a home at a Catholic institution, that they are just as valued as any other student.”

Though Lucko, Aragon and Hinz were lucky enough to find like-minded queer best friends, they know this isn’t always the case for all students. Finding a community within one’s university can be challenging, especially for LGBTQ+ students. Through bringing DPhi to USD, the “J gays” hope to help the USD queer community find a safe space to call home on campus.

Two of the DPhi founders Jake Lucko and Jacob Aragon first came up with the idea to start a queer frat after becoming best friends their first year.

Haley Jacob/The USD Vista

Mourning Takeoff’s sudden death ARTS & CULTURE

Many shocked by rapper’s murder

Takeoff from Page 1

“Boujee,” “Fight Night,” “Walk It Talk It” and more, many listeners were capti vated by the group’s fast-paced lyrics and party-esque beats.

USD senior Paulina Smale is a fan of various Migos songs.

“I used to listen to the Migos in high school. My favorite song was ‘Stir Fry,’” Smale said.

“Stir Fry” was written by group members, Quavo, Takeoff and Offset, as well as Pharrell Williams — who also produced the song. The song peaked at number 3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 list and currently has over 536 million listens on Spo tify, as their most popular song.

Shortly after Takeoff’s death, videos of the shooting spread across social media rapidly. The video shows the argument leading up to the shooting — specifically Quavo attempting to de-escalate the tension and Takeoff standing off to the side — as well as the shooting itself.

CNN reports that since 2018, gun violence — whether robbery or disagreement — has killed at least one rapper each year.

Tupac, Nipsey Hussle, Pop Smoke and XXXTENTACION are among the famous rappers who were fatally shot. Many deaths were captured on video and released to the public as well.

USD senior Avalon Miracle believes that having access to the video takes away from the seriousness of Takeoff’s death.

“I do not think it is necessarily appropriate due to it being a violent act and death that we are witnessing,” Miracle said. “It is a sensitive topic to him and his family. I would not want people watching [the death] of some I know on repeat.”

Many are hopeful that the video will help inves tigators catch the shooter.

“I don’t think [showing a celebrity’s death online] should be normalized,” Hirmez said. “However, I think that if it pro vides necessary information that may have been missing previ ously, it is important to show.”

Many Migos fans are hope ful that the video will be helpful in capturing the shooter. Like Smale, many fans will grieve Takeoff’s death for years to come.

“I think considering he is a well respected talented rapper [and died] too young, a lot of his fellow rappers are going to take this very personally,” Smale said. “The rap industry is prob ably numb to these deaths, be cause we have seen this happen countless times, but what I’ve seen so far is people are really surprised about Takeoff.”

While neither surviving member of the Migos trio has publicly commented on Takeoff’s death or the viral video, Offset has changed his Instagram profile to a picture of Takeoff.

Offset’s wife, Cardi B — who has collaborated with Migos on several songs — retweeted

SATVIKA NITYA ASST. A&C EDITOR

The hectic and buzzing nature of college schedules has left many students with little time to take part in leisurely reading.

In an attempt to fix this and resuscitate the joy of reading stories for pleasure, USD intro duced its first-time participation in San Diego’s ‘One Book, One San Diego’ program through the reading initiative ‘Drop Ev erything and Read One Book.’

This initiative aims to pro mote a community reading expe rience at USD by urging students and faculty to read the same book between Oct. 18 and Nov. 15.

Apart from a large group reading experience, the initia tive plans to conclude the event with a culminating reading circle on Nov. 15 at the Copley Library. This is a space for all participants to come together and engage in meaningful con versations about their jour ney while reading the book.

Though ‘Drop Everything and Read One Book’ is new and unique to USD, its origins lie

‘Drop Everything and Read’ USD’s

effort to revive the love of reading

in the literary program ‘One Book, One San Diego’ (OBOSD).

Now in its 16th running year, OBOSD is a partnership between San Diego’s public media ser vice KPBS and over 80 public libraries, service organizations and educational institutions.

Every year, a list of book selections for the community reading experience is released by OBOSD for different age groups according to their relevance, sto rylines and thematic importance.

For this year, the selec tions were “The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett for adults, “The Magic Fish” by Trung Le Nguyen for teens and “We Are Water Protectors’’ by Carole Lindstrom for kids.

‘Drop Everything and Read One Book’ is USD’s first-time collective effort to partici pate in OBOSD. But this isn’t the first effort towards pro moting reading on campus.

Up until last year, the ‘USD Just Read!’ program promoted by the Center for Educational Excellence (CEE) aimed to bring together the USD community to read and learn, through a va

riety of authors’ works, about a central social justice issue.

But the unfortunate end to ‘USD Just Read!’ led to the involvement of the Copley Library, CEE and the Center for Inclusion and Diversity (CID) to start a bigger pro gram and allow OBOSD to plant its roots on campus.

USD’s Head of Access and Outreach Services and Liaison to the Department of History Christopher D. Marcum was in strumental in organizing the ‘Drop Everything and Read One Book’ initiative through his posi tion on the selection committee for the adult section of OBOSD.

“I have been a part of OBOSD since 2018 and this past summer, I wanted to think about ways to get USD more engaged in this initiative,” said Marcum. “Com munity reading is a great way to bring communities together, especially when it’s creating dia logue about important issues and topics. With a lot of help from Rhea Webb from CEE and Dr. Regina Dixon-Reeves from CID, we were able to make it happen.”

From the three categories for OBOSD, USD’s choice for ‘Drop Everything and Read One Book’ was the adult se lection “The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett because of its grippingly important themes.

“The book deals a lot with the idea of identity — how we form it — and race as a social con struct,” explained Marcum. “This is a book that has important themes that I think the students, faculty and staff at USD can engage in, because it talks about topics that impact our lives.”

Tables with free copies of “The Vanishing Half” are set up in front of Copley Li brary and Maher Hall from 1:00-1:30 p.m. every Tuesday throughout the initiative’s run.

This leaves Nov. 15 as the last day that students can get their hands on the book, as well as participate in a raffle to win a “swag bag,” courtesy of Copley, the CEE and CID.

USD sophomore and novel en thusiast Monzerrat Quevedo was one of the students to participate in ‘Drop Everything and Read.’

“I haven’t sat down and just

read a book in a while,” said Quevedo. “Knowing that mul tiple people are [going to] have knowledge of the same book is such a comforting thought. We can sit down, talk about our fa vorite parts, what you hate and our favorite quotes, it’s nice to have that in common with people who live in San Diego.”

Marcum also agreed that taking a break between classes and reading can be beneficial for students, especially during the stress of exams, proj ects and other school work.

“I want students to take a breath and quite literally drop everything and just read a book,” said Marcum.

“Even if you’re having a busy day, take a moment, breathe and read something.”

Participants can meet their fellow readers at the final reading circle event sched uled to occur on Nov. 15 in the Copley Library at 2:00 p.m.

With prizes, discussions and refreshments, event provides a collective space for people to enjoy the com munity reading experience.

a video of Takeoff, Offset and Quavo from Comlex Music with the caption “Family Forever.” Artists Drake, SZA, Machine Gun Kelly, Ugly God, OutKast

and many more have all pub licly commented on their loss on various social media platforms.

Despite his life being cut short due to yet another unfortu

nate shooting and killing in the rap community, Takeoff’s legacy will continue to be remembered by many fans and through the group Migos.

Migos’ album “Culture II” features popular songs like “Stir Fry,” “BBO” and “Walk It Talk It.”

Photo courtesy of @Just.stopoil/Instagram

Anticipating Disney’s new sequels

Toreros discuss upcoming films, ‘Wakanda Forever’ and ‘Disenchanted’

STELLA SCHNEIDER ASST. A&C EDITOR

This November, two of Disney’s most popular movie franchises are back. The company is set to release “Wakanda Forever” and “Disenchanted” — the next installments in the “Black Panther” and “Enchanted” franchises, respectively.

“Wakanda Forever” is one of Marvel’s most anticipated films this year, as a sequel to the well-received “Black Panther.” Released in 2018, the first movie grossed over $1 billion. According to Box Office Mojo, “Black Panther” is ranked as the 14th highest-grossing film of all time. The film had a wide impact upon release as it features the first high-profile Black superhero — the Black Panther.

Chadwick Boseman, who played T’Challa — the Black Panther in the first film, passed away in August 2020 due to his private battle with cancer.

Considering his leading role in the first movie, many USD students expressed interest in the sequel, to see how the story of the main character, ‘the Black Panther,’ will change in his absence. In the original movie, it follows T’Challa taking over as king of Wakanda after the death of his father as they face conflicts against their kingdom.

USD senior Lex Debonis conveyed her excitement in seeing “Wakanda Forever.”

“I can’t wait to see how the story changes without the ‘original’ Black Panther. I’m guessing it will focus more on the younger sister,” said Debonis. “I heard the movie is really focused on grief, which is sad how it parallels the loss of Chadwick as well.”

The movie was originally planned to follow T’Challa searching for himself after being ‘blipped,’ a major fictional event depicted in two other movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which half of all living things in the universe, chosen at random, disappeared.

However, facing the loss of Boseman, the script now follows the other lead characters in their fight to protect the Wakanda nation from intervening world powers.

Releasing Friday, Nov. 11, “Wakanda Forever’’ will be a guaranteed conversation starter as a result of the new lead and plot for the movie.

Viewers can also watch “Black Panther” on Disney+, where “Wakanda Forever” will be released later.

The second anticipated sequel being released this fall is Disney’s “Disenchanted.” This film will be released in theaters on Nov. 18. A sequel to the popular 2007 movie, “Enchanted,” the new movie follows the years after Giselle’s happily ever after, when the fictitious world — Andalasia — and the real world are thrown off-balance once again.

Fifteen years after its initial release, many are still buzzing about the movie, and fans of the original film are looking forward to the sequel.

USD junior Lily Dempsey talked about her connection with “Enchanted.”

“I remember watching that movie all the time growing up. I basically had it

memorized,” Dempsey said. “I’m so excited to see the new movie in theaters; it will be nice nostalgia and a throwback to my love for it as a kid.”

“Disenchanted” will feature Amy Adams’ return to her role as Giselle. Adams is known for her strong performances in film, garnering six Academy Award nominations.

USD

“Enchanted.”

“I absolutely loved ‘Enchanted,’ especially because I am a musical lover, so the fact that it’s a successful one is really exciting,” said Stallard. “Amy Adams is such a great actress for the ‘princess living in the

“Disenchanted”

Disney+, on Nov. 18. The original movie, “Enchanted,” is also available on Disney+.

This November, fans of Marvel and magic alike can visit the theaters for two highly anticipated film sequels.

junior Abby Stallard communicated her interest in the new film and reminisces on

real world’ role. I’m excited to see her in the same role again.”

will be in theaters and on the streaming platform,

Originally released 15 years ago, many are eagerly awaiting the “Enchanted” sequel.

Photo courtesy of @Disneyenchanted/Instagram

The “Wakanda Forever” characters will fight to protect their nation in the wake of T’Challa’s death in the “Black Panther” sequel.

Photo courtesy of @Blackpanther/Instagram

SPORTS Weekly sports recap

Torero athletics has a successful week

COLIN MULLANEY COPY EDITOR

KARISA KAMPBELL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Men’s Basketball

USD men’s basketball played their season opener against Sonoma State on Nov. 7, beating the Seawolves 81-59. USD put more points on the board than Sonoma in both the first and second halves, contributing to their victory. The matchup was the first game for Coach Steve Lavin as the USD head coach, and his first Torero win. In their first game as Toreros, players Sisoho Jawara, Eric Williams Jr., Jaiden Delaire, Deuce Turner, Neel Beniwal, Nic Lynch and Jeremiah Nyarko all scored, with 10 Toreros scoring in total. Overall, the team scored 22 fastbreak points. Basketball will play Florida Gulf Coast on Wednesday Nov. 9 and New Jersey Institute of Technology on Nov. 13, at Jenny Craig Pavilion (JCP).

Women’s Basketball

USD women’s basketball also won their season-opening game against Biola, 75-47, at the JCP. All-time, Toreros stand at 3-6 against the Eagles. Kasey Neubert led the scorers with 14 points on the board and six rebounds, while Laura Erikstrup had 11 points and eight rebounds. Overall, the Toreros had 53 rebounds. According to USDToreros.com, “sophomore transfers Jess Finney and Claire Gallagher, as well as freshman Veronica Sheffey each made their official Torero debuts, with Sheffey recording four points and six assists in 21 minutes.” On Saturday, Nov. 12, Toreros will play at Portland State, streamed on ESPN Plus.

Cross Country

Men’s and women’s cross country will be traveling to Seattle, Washington, for a race on Nov. 11, after competing in the WCC Championship on Oct. 28. At their Fernhill Park Championship race, the women’s team placed eighth, while the men placed ninth. Sophomore Daniella Hubbard led the women’s team with a time of 22:22.1 in the 6K, while Ian Converse led the men’s team with an 8K time of 24:00.9. Other top finishers included Maddie Heller, Gianna Sbarbaro and Aryam Jaimes for the women, and Jake Coleman, Russell Gokemeijer, and Will Stefanou for the men.

Rowing

Last weekend, men’s rowing traveled to Sacramento for a race held on Lake Natoma. The men’s 4+ “A” lineup, Derek Hissong, Jacob Zelenko, Jack Giebler, Gavin McLaren and

Kaleb Griffin, won first out of 17, with a time of 17:51.

The “B” entry, composed mainly of first year novice rowers, included Jacob Corfey, Kosta Selk Anagnos, Cullen Pow, Sean Hudson and Julian Fairbanks, who finished 12th out of the 17, in a time of 20:58.

In the men’s novice 8+ race, the men finished third in the race.

Golf USD’s golf team won first place in the St. Mary’s Invitational at Poppy Hills Golf Club in Pebble Beach, California. David Rauch led the team, with

a second-place finish overall, carding rounds of 69, 67 and 71, for a total of 207 strokes.

Transfer student from Oregon State, Carson Enright, placed tied for fourth, with a one-under 212 (67, 74, 71). Redshirt senior Evan Kawai and junior Andi Xu tied for ninth place, while

Harrison Kingsley, a redshirt senior, tied for 12th place.

The golf team’s win this past weekend in Pebble Beach marks their first victory as a team since the Hoakalei Country Club invite that was in Oct. 2021, in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, where they were first of 15.

USD women’s cross country competes at the WCC Championship race.

Photo courtesy of usdtoreros.com

USD women’s basketball opens their season against Biola.

Photo courtesy of usdtoreros.com

Steve Lavin joins men’s basketball

As new head coach, Lavin creates brand new roster

SAVANNAH ALARCON SPORTS EDITOR

USD men’s basketball is looking for a fresh start with a majority new team and a brand new coach. Steve Lavin was named the head coach of the men’s basketball team in April 2022.

Lavin was a very important addition to the team, due to his success in guiding both the UCLA and St. John’s basketball teams to eight NCAA tournaments. Lavin’s extensive experience may be what the team needs to make it to this year’s NCAA tournament. He is hoping to make a big impact on this team.

With that said, the men’s basketball team has a fairly new roster consisting of five returning players and 12 new players. With a mix of transfers and new recruits, the team is looking to improve from the past seasons. The team has not won the WCC tournament since 2008 — the same year they made it to the NCAA tournament.

USD sophomore Wayne McKinney commented on the team’s renewed determination, now that Levin is head coach.

“This season is different from last season obviously, due to the whole new team we have gotten and the new coaching staff we have gotten as well. It feels like a new energy has been

built in the gym and everyone is invested in our one goal... which is making it to the NCAA tournament,” he explained.

The men’s basketball Team is hoping to change the narrative for the Torero basketball program by winning a tournament.

Eric Williams Jr., a USD graduate transfer from the University of Oregon, stated his goals for the season.

“I want to help make strides

for the program, so winning games is at the top of my priority.”

With this being a brand new team, it will be interesting to see where they will go and how they will succeed.

Creating a new roster can pose challenges to a team’s dynamics, which may make it difficult for the players to work together and find their balance. However, learning a team’s strengths and weaknesses can

also motivate each player — and the team’s coach — to form new plays and strategies that other teams might not expect.

McKinney holds a similar attitude, as he expressed his enthusiasm in getting to know his fellow teammates and coach.

“I’m excited to see how we gel and how we do in conference play. The chemistry has been great... I think we are [going to] shock a lot of people,” McKinney said.

In this new era of the men’s basketball team, there will be a lot to talk about and watch.

USD students and the San Diego community will have the opportunity to learn who the new men’s basketball team is this month by attending their games. Their next game will be against New Jersey Institute of Technology this Sunday, Nov. 13, at 2 p.m. in the Jenny Craig Pavilion.

Toreros are excited for the upcoming basketball season with head coach Steve Lavin.

Photo courtesy of usdtoreros.com