THE USD VISTA
Flagged grants create uncertainty for USD researchers and students USD research under threat
In January of 2025, USD biology professor Nicole Danos sat scrolling through social media. Rather than finding pictures of friends or celebrities on her feed, she found a post by a colleague announcing that thousands of National Science Foundation (NSF) grants were being flagged for being “woke initiatives.” Danos, who is the recipient of an NSF grant, hurriedly scrolled through a spreadsheet to see if USD was listed. It was then that she learned that her $1.2 million grant had been flagged for ‘gender bias’ — not from an email or a letter from the organization, but through social media. With an annual budget of $9 billion, the NSF serves to propel research, which is done by providing grants to studies. However, following executive orders from the Trump administration, the NSF temporarily enacted a funding freeze for new projects. NSF also released a database, listing existing projects which were flagged for being ‘social justice,’ ‘race,’ ‘gender’ or
elections kick
Elections for the Associated Student Government (ASG) will be held next week to determine the leaders of the Torero student body. The open elected positions include president and vice president, as well as academic, residential and at-large senators.
To be eligible to run as a candidate for the student body, candidates must be a full-time student with a minimum 2.5 cumulative grade point average. Those running specifically for ASG president must be completing their sixth semester of college, while vice presidential candidates should be completing their fourth semester.
USD juniors Cullen Pow and Lily Giovannelli are the two candidates running for ASG president. On April 3, the presidential debate gave students a glimpse into the candidates’ platforms. Audience turnout was particularly low in Maher’s Salomon Hall, with just less than one-third of the seats filled. The majority of the audience was
current ASG members. Some USD students, including USD firstyear Charlie Lyons, that are not part of ASG were unaware of the events leading up to the election.
“To be honest, I had no idea it was even happening,” Lyons said. “If I had known I don’t think I would have gone because I wasn’t familiar with any of the candidates.”
Some USD students have little participation in ASG, and
therefore little awareness of the organization’s presence on campus. USD sophomore Hayden Estler stated the extent to which she knows about ASG.
“They should do more campaigns in the Paseo or something,” Estler pointed out. “I only know about the candidates that follow me on Instagram or come to [sorority] chapter and talk to us. Otherwise, I barely know when elections are
happening or who is running.”
ASG failed to comment on how they plan, if at all, to increase voter participation and turnout.
For a better understanding on the candidates Lily Giovannelli Presidential Candidate Lily Giovannelli is a junior from Pittsburgh majoring in political science. She has been a part of ASG for three years.
‘environmental justice’ related. A press release from the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation detailed the motives behind flagging the key terms.
“This funding was diverted toward questionable projects that promoted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) or advanced neo-Marxist class warfare propaganda,” the press release stated. The database of existing projects was compiled by Texas senator Ted Cruz for his investigation of the Biden administration’s alleged politicization of science. Following the current administration’s executive orders, Cruz released a statement in support.
“Over the past few weeks, the Trump administration has been taking a sledgehammer to the radical left’s woke nonsense,” Cruz said. “DEI initiatives have poisoned research efforts, eroded confidence in the scientific community, and fueled division among Americans. I am proud to release our investigation’s database, which exposes how the Biden administration See Research, Page 2
MAE O’MALLEY ASST. NEWS EDITOR
EMMA PIRHALA NEWS EDITOR
USD junior Alex Kueter works on the flagged caterpillar study
Jason Wu/The USD Vista
Research under attack USD research grants flagged after executive orders
weaponized federal agencies to push a far-left ideology. Congress must end the politicization of NSF funding and restore integrity to scientific research.”
The University commented on the significance of reseach at USD.
“The University of San Diego prides itself on providing incredible research opportunities on and off campus to not only our graduate students but also our undergraduate population,” USD’s media relations team commented on behalf of the University. “Research and Scholarship strengthen the teaching and learning environment for our entire campus community, and it is an integral part of a university campus.”
Regarding the uncertainty with the NSF grants, USD explained that they are committed to encouraging research.
“USD works closely with faculty members to identify funding opportunities for research through government and private grants,” the team stated. “Faculty who experience any changes in research funding are encouraged to explore alternative funding sources, as applicable.”
Two projects at USD were flagged: Danos’ study on
motherhood in the wild and another project studying the spread of an infectious disease in caterpillars. The caterpillar study was flagged under the social justice keyword for including the word ‘inclusion’ — which is also a medical term.
The received amount of the flagged grants at USD total to $873,347. The National Science Foundation grants pay the grantee’s university or organization directly, and then that money is distributed to researchers for costs of employment and for needed supplies and materials.
Currently, Danos is in her second year of a five-year grant awarded by the NSF that focused on the energy expenditure exerted by mammals during motherhood. The study was part of a grant that not only funded her research, but also supported her goals as an educator. Danos planned to use the grant to create a class on female biology, and how it differs from that of males; and to research the impact that female examples of biology have on the sense of belonging of female STEM students. However, the status of her research is uncertain, not only for her, but also for the researchers she oversees.
“The uncertainty affects particularly the people who work on this project,” Danos
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said. “I have one person who is a PhD. He’s at USD working on this full time, so it’s uncertain whether I can guarantee his job after August. And these types of academic jobs, it’s not like there’s always hundreds and hundreds of jobs open. You have to apply months or a year in advance. And if he doesn’t know, how is he applying?”
Right now, Danos has five undergraduate students working in her lab. For USD biology students, it is a requirement to have lab experience prior to graduation. By working in Danos’ lab, students fulfill their graduation requirements, while also learning skills that are applicable in the workforce.
Through the NSF grant, three of Danos’s student researchers had the opportunity to work with Danos over the summer, making $6,000 for a 10-week term.
“[The grants] meant they didn’t have to go out and look for a job,” Danos explained. “They could focus on doing this work and improving their own skills in the lab. We talked about things like presenting results and doing elevator pitches. I mean, there’s a lot more that goes on by being part of the lab that’s not just creating data, generating data.”
Like her students, Danos trained for years to be qualified for the position she is in. However, if her
grant is ultimately cancelled, Danos’ career could be at risk.
“My identity as a scientist really is [at risk] if I lose this funding,” Danos revealed while tearing up. “It means that I cannot continue doing the work that I’ve been trained for, and that I am an expert in. If I stop doing research and doing scholarly work, my career is done. I just fall out of the pool of scientists who are advancing. Knowledge constantly advances. So if you’re not there, you fall behind. And so I’m no longer an active scientist.”
In addition to their work as an assistant opinion editor for The USD Vista, USD junior Alex Kueter is a student researcher for the study on caterpillars. Similarly, Kueter is concerned about their career prospects if the research does not continue. Kueter hopes to become a veterinarian, and research experience is coveted in the field when applying to veterinary school.
“[Veterinary] schools really care about research,” Kueter explained. “It’s very important, and this is specifically very important, because bugs are important to the ecosystem. So not being able to do this would really — I think — affect my chances of getting into that school because this is pretty groundbreaking,
interesting research.” Kueter shared a message for students to keep their eyes and ears open for further change as directed by the Trump administration.
“This is affecting my future, and this won’t be the last thing that the Trump administration does to target students trying to receive an education,” Kueter said. “So I just encourage people to, like, keep their eyes open and realize it starts with the little things. Like it starts with flagging a research study about caterpillars.”
The flagged grant threatens more than just the continuation of Danos’ research, but jeopardizes the academic environment she’s worked hard to build for her students. However, Danos remains adamant about the unique environment that USD offers students.
“I think they need to know what a special place it is that they are at, and how much at risk it is,” Danos said.
Since Trump took office, the number of new grants awarded by the NSF has dropped by nearly 50%, compared to a two-month period a year ago.
Although the University is still receiving payment for the awards, there is uncertainty about whether or not USD’s research will be cut in the future.
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From Research, Page 1
Student researchers studying the lactation of rats in Danos’s lab.
Photo courtesy of Nicole Danos
Students can earn credit for participating in research labs.
Photo courtesy of Nicole Danos
A look into ASG elections NEWS
An overview of the debate and candidate platforms
From ASG, Page 1
During her time on ASG, she has served in multiple roles — first on the Senate Lead Team as a clerk, then as the Speaker Pro Tempore. This past fall, she spent the semester interning in Washington D.C. where she saw the impact of politics and the importance of working for her community. This experience inspired her to run for ASG president.
“This campaign isn’t about what I can promise you, but about what we can achieve by working together,” Giovanelli remarked in her opening statement of the debate.
Giovannelli’s main three issues include working with USD Dining, USD Mobility and Scheduling services to increase sustainable and accessible transportation on campus, while also working to increase school spirit and further civil discourse.
Giovanelli’s hope for working
with dining services is to increase the availability of food options, and to continue the work ASG has been doing. Over the past three years, ASG has worked with dining to include gluten-free and allergyfriendly choices. Additionally, Giovanelli maintains connections around campus to speak with administrators and students about the issues that she notices.
“I see something like the culture nights being written about in the Vista, and this is feedback I need to bring up,” Giovanelli said.
“I know Charles Ramos, who is the director of auxiliary services, like dining and catering… Once I saw that article I thought, ‘Okay, I need to bring this up to him.’”
Giovanelli’s third main issue is furthering civil discourse on campus. In her role as a Civil Discourse Ambassador, she works with fellow students to encourage people to vote and share their opinions.
“I think it is important to note that I am not speaking for people, but I am amplifying voices in my role in ASG,” Giovanelli stated in the debate. “These are student-body cconcerns that I am addressing while using my position.”
Cullen Pow Presidential Candidate
Cullen Pow is a junior from Cupertino, Calif., majoring in behavioral neuroscience with a double minor in Chinese and chemistry. Though this is Pow’s first time participating in ASG, he believes that his outside knowledge will bring a new perspective to student government.
“As someone with an outside perspective, I can bring new ideas, new drive and fresh pair of eyes,” Pow remarked in the debate.
Pow is running his campaign on the basis of three student issues that he intends to fix. He hopes to mainstream communication between students and ASG, so
that USD students are aware of the organization’s purpose.
“We are looking to increase awareness of what ASG is so we can better advocate for the student body,” Pow commented. “That’s what its key purpose is. If only the hundred, or two hundred people involved in ASG, in a school of 10,000, are voicing their opinions, it’s not exactly advocating for everyone.”
Pow is also looking to increase school spirit by uplifting team and club sports on campus. He plans to initiate new ideas that will encourage students to want to attend sporting events and to continue going to them.
“Yes, we are college students and free food is enticing,” Pow remarked. “I think changing the giveaways to things that don’t necessarily cost ASG anything more would be totally feasible and people would go more.”
If elected, Pow aims to aid
students, particularly first-years, in seeing more of San Diego, with community off-campus events and activities that would foster a welcoming environment.
“There is so much more to San Diego than just school and the beach,” Pow stated. “We have hiking trails, downtown, La Jolla… It’s an expensive city. If we could do group activities in different areas of San Diego, it would do a ton to increase communication on campus, inclusivity and make people feel like they are seeing San Diego and making friends.”
USD students can vote for their preferred candidate on the MySanDiego portal under the “ASG Elections” tab. Academic, residential and at large senators will also be up for election on the portal. The ballot will be open electronically during a 48-hour window from April 9 at midnight to April 10 at 11:59p.m.
University receives civil rights complaint
Right-wing organization accuses USD of discriminatory scholarships
EMMA PIRHALA NEWS EDITOR
USD recently joined the growing list of California universities under attack for DEI initiatives and scholarship offerings. In February, a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights was filed against the University by the conservative Legal Insurrection Foundation (LIF).
The complaint claims that USD’s scholarship offerings are discriminatory towards white students and violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The organization specifically names the Filipino Ugnayan Student Organization (FUSO) Alumni Network Scholarship, Comité México Scholarship, Black Alumni Network Scholarship, Latino Alumni Network Scholarship, Augusto Boal Endowed Scholarship and the Gwendolyn Brooks Endowed Scholarship for the Study of the Humanities.
“These scholarship programs set up unequal standards of eligibility so that students similarly situated are treated differently based on race and ethnicity, in clear violation of Title VI,” the complaint stated.
Although the scholarships do not have a requirement to be of a certain race, there is a preference for recipients to be a certain race.
“Open to all undergraduate and graduate students who have worked to better the experience of USD’s African American community,” the Black Alumni Scholarship page on the Alumni Association states. “Preference to an African - American student.”
The complaining organization was founded in 2008 by
William A. Jacobson, a law professor at Cornell University.
In an interview to Fox News Digital, Jacobson expressed his disdain for USD’s scholarship programs, in which he incorrectly referred to the University as SDU.
“SDU should know better than to run scholarships that exclude students based on race, color or ethnicity,” Jacobson said. “Where were the administrators and staff whose jobs supposedly are devoted to preventing discrimination? Why was there no intervention to uphold the legally required equal access to education?”
The USD Vista reached out to the University’s media relations department to learn how administrators are handling the complaint.
“The University of San Diego complies with all local, state and national laws and remains firmly committed to its mission, vision and core values,” a statement made on behalf of the University said. “Our admission process and scholarship awards are no exception. We will continue to monitor any changes to laws or regulations and adjust programs and protocols as required. Our goal is to ensure all members of our university community are able to thrive in every dimension of their lives.”
Since the complaint has been filed with the Department of Education, they will now have time to review the evidence and launch an investigation if needed. However, at this time, there is no information available regarding the status of the complaint.
Webpages on the USD site that referenced the scholarships have been removed following the complaint. Now, when viewers
click on links to the scholarships, they receive a 404–not found message. However, some scholarships are available for viewing on a page connected to the Alumni Association site.
The University’s media relations officials further explained why these pages were taken down.
“This does not change our commitment to continue supporting all of our students and faculty on this campus,” the team said.
The complaint is not just affecting the University as a whole, but also individual students.
USD senior Aliyah Jones is a recipient of the Black Alumni Network Scholarship and her ability to receive an education is threatened by the complaint.
Jones is an active presence on campus, serving as the vice
president of USD’s National Society of Black Engineers chapter, the Linda Vista Engagement CoChair of Mortar Board and as a student-teacher at the Manchester Family Child Development Center.
She has dreamed of pursuing a career in engineering since she was young, participating in everything from robotics to drone aviation. As a student from a middle-class background, the $10,000 scholarship helps Jones to pursue her dreams and alleviates financial pressures.
“These scholarships have not only impacted my path, but also the journeys of so many of my peers helping them with stability within college and attending USD,” Jones said.
Jones was unaware of the complaint and the removal of the webpages. However, once
she learned about the situation, she was compelled to speak up for her fellow students.
“It would be deeply unfortunate to see scholarships that have played such a crucial role in my academic, professional and personal journey be taken away,” Jones said. “Seeing this investment in diversity and inclusion disappear would be a loss for students and USD’s community as a whole.”
Currently, the Alumni Association scholarships are still active. The application deadline will close on April 30. However, there is no longer any information available regarding the CAS linked scholarships. Students continue to wonder what the future holds for these scholarships which create opportunity for many.
USD holds a yearly scholarship luncheon to show appreciation for donors.
Photo courtesy of @usandiego/Flickr
ARTS & CULTURE
Curtain up in a day Behind USD Playhouse’s first 12-hour play challenge
SATVIKA NITYA CONTRIBUTOR
Rehearsing, directing, producing and performing three plays in one day sounds like an overwhelmingly stressful and impossible task to accomplish. However, USD Playhouse took on this seemingly unachievable mission last weekend and made it a success.
USD Playhouse — the student-run theater club on campus — organized its firstever 12-hour play day at USD’s Vassiliadis Family Black Box Theatre. The goal of the event was to take multiple studentwritten plays and showcase them on stage, however, students were challenged to start and finish the whole process within 12 hours. This
includes auditioning, casting, directing, blocking, rehearsing, lighting, designing sound and performing with time allotted for obvious necessities like eating and taking a break.
USD junior and USD Playhouse’s Director of Marketing Liv Meloy shared what it was like organizing this event.
“We actually had a member – Hailey Powers, who’s a freshman – suggest it, and we thought it was a great idea so we went along with it,” Meloy said. “The logistics were a little tricky because an event like this involves a lot of moving parts. So, that just meant we had to delegate and communicate a lot. The most difficult thing about organizing this was finding a day when everyone was available.”
After landing on April 5 as the most convenient day for everyone involved, the crew of 11 students met at the Black Box Theater and started their work bright and early at 8 a.m. There were three plays chosen to be staged — “Cats playing Saxophones,” written by USD junior Casper Finnigan, “Loving the Pastor’s Daughter,” written by USD senior Carys Lynch and “Bottled Up,” written by USD sophomore Cat Nickoli.
Auditions to play different roles in each of the three plays kicked off the 12-hour process, followed by casting and directing. Finnegan, who wrote “Cats playing Saxophones,” talked about his experience watching his script in action on stage.
“It feels so weird to see what I wrote play out on
stage, but it feels weird in a good way,” Finnegan said. “I wrote my play for a class called Playwriting, and I had a couple of drafts that I workshopped during that time. I also had a hand in casting. I had to think about all the three characters I had in my play and then pick based on the group that we have performing. I like the short amount of time we had because I thrive under pressure, and it felt like it was go-time.”
The plays included themes of exploring trangender identity and the tense relationship between religion and sexuality. They also included dramatic elements such as talking animals. The genres were widespread, ranging from comedy to drama.
In the play “Loving the Pastor’s Daughter,” USD junior Ava Ribando played the role of a teenager conflicted between picking her religion and picking her sexuality. She shared about the difference she felt as an actor, performing within the 12-hour play format.
“This format forces you to get out [of] your head. You kinda just have to rely on your own instincts as an actor and no one else’s input really comes in as much,” Ribando said.
“When rehearsal is a monthlong process, you hear a lot more from your director and castmates. The final product is much more collaborative. In this, you just get to go with it and put on something fun that
everyone enjoys. I think there’s merit to both processes.”
After the actors rehearsed their lines, blocked their movements on stage and became accustomed to using props, it was finally time for the lighting and sound to kick in and bring the whole show together. Without a well-built set to transport the audience to the settings, the group used music to identify the mood and sounds to point to key elements in the scene.
USD first-year Jaclyn Gosher, who worked on running the lights for the show, had no experience in the field prior to this production. She spoke about her experience, learning a whole new skill for the 12-hour play day.
“It was so stressful but so fun because I’ve always wanted to do tech,” Gosher said. “I didn’t actually sign up to do this, but I showed up this morning and was asked if I wanted to do lights and I said sure. I just had to learn a lot on the fly and be very in the moment. I had a lot of fun and really enjoyed picking up a new skill.”
After 11 hours of work, the crew opened the doors and handed out their programs to the audience at 6:45 p.m. By the end of the hour, the audience had laughed, gasped and hooted at multiple sentimental, comedic and dramatic moments from all three plays, ending the 12 hours with a standing ovation.
USD students casted, rehearsed and put on three plays for an audience in a 12-hour time period.
Photo courtesy of Liv Meloy
USD senior Julian Flores (left) and sophomore Tanner Blackington (right) in ‘Cats Playing Saxophones.’
Photo Courtesy of Liv Meloy
USD sophomore Cat Nickoli (left) and senior Carys Lynch (right) in ‘Bottled Up.’ Photo courtesy of Liv Meloy
Toreros have a blast at Olé Fest
USD’s
annual concert features Blxst, Alemeda and Noluv.james
On Friday night, USD students gathered on Torero Way for the long-awaited Olé Fest. The annual concert featured California rapper Blxst as the headliner. Known for hits like “Chosen” and “Overrated,” the West Coast performer drew a crowd of around 150 Toreros.
USD junior James Scott, known onstage as Noluv.james, and alternative pop artist, Alemeda, hyped up the crowd as openers for the main event.
Organized each year by the Torero Program Board (TPB), Olé Fest is a much-anticipated event for Toreros with former performers ranging from 070 Shake to Ross Lynch’s Driver Era. This year, the concert took four months to plan.
USD junior Josephine Chia, who serves as the vice chair of TPB and played a key role in the planning of Olé Fest, shared a peek into the process of creating the event.
“We basically started with
the initial brainstorming part,” Chia said. “We were able to get connected to different agents and see what artists would fit best for the vibe of our school, as well as what artists would fit the budget.
From then, you know, we coordinated a lot with the production company, Show Imaging, [and] coordinated a lot with campus facilities to make this all happen. We also work with TPB’s marketing team to market the event.
It just took a lot of weeks of coordination and close communication with a lot of the vendors that we used.”
Chia explained that she and the TPB team were excited to watch the concert come together and to provide a fun experience for USD students.
“It’s really exciting to see so many weeks of planning finally come to life, and I’m really excited to just see, you know, people enjoy it and just have a really, really good time,” Chia said.
After much planning, the night finally arrived and students filled the street. The concert attracted Toreros who were both big fans of the artists, and those who had never heard their songs before.
USD first-years Franky Sandoval and Kathleen Cao were two of the first students crammed by the barricade.
“We’re here for fun,” Sandoval said. “We don’t know the artists, but we listened to their music beforehand … We’re most excited for Blxst. We hope he brings out a special guest.”
Matthew Dean Burdette, also known as Blxst, is an R&B, soul, hip-hop and rap artist. With a feature on a track by Kendrick Lamar, and through work with other artists such as Ty Dolla $ign and Tyga, he has seen much success in the music industry.
Other students came out specifically to see the artist. USD sophomore Zahid Mateos-Torres was the most hyped to see Blxst.
“I listen to him a lot, so I’m really excited,” Mateos-Torres said.
Scott, known as Noluv.james, opened the show with a 10-song set. In addition to studying business administration and playing on USD’s football team, Scott also has a lifelong passion for music.
“I started singing in the church choir when I was like four,” Scott explained. “I always listened to music with my grandfather, Phillip Scott, who was just so musically inclined and always really showed me so many different types of music. As I grew up, I just loved music more and more … And then in eighth grade, I started making music.”
Despite performing in front of a crowd of his peers — and football teammates — Noluv.james showed no
fear. Throughout the entire set, the crowd showed their love for the USD student. Noluv.james’s engaging stage presence encouraged students to sing and dance to his R&B style songs, including Scott’s new “How You Move.”
“It’s cool to see USD shine a light on student artists,” USD sophomore Michelle Graeber said. “Noluv’s performance was fun and I’m definitely going to start giving his music a listen.”
Once the sun set, Alemeda took the stage as the official opener. Alemeda’s performance highlighted songs from her new EP titled “FK IT,” which many students in the crowd passionately sang along to. The pop princess’ songs feature lyrics that discuss best friend breakups and hookup culture, which may appeal to a younger audience, including college students. By the end of her set, students were begging for more.
Blxst delivered an energetic performance alongside his spirited eagle mascot and Good Morning Gabe, a DJ who warmed up the crowd for the artist. Blxst kept the crowd lively with his hits and frequently shouted out the West Coast. Students matched his energy, having an obvious blast.
Olé Fest proved to be a memorable night for Toreros, showcasing talented student performers alongside popular artists. From Noluv.james’s spirited open to Alemeda’s pop performance and, of course, Blxst’s finale, students enjoyed the evening filled with music, dancing and spirit. After TPB’s months of planning by TPB, the event successfully brought USD students together to have a great night.
EMMA PIRHALA NEWS EDITOR
USD student opener and R&B artist Noluv.james opened up Olé Fest with a bang.
Emma Pirhala/USD Vista
Alternative/Indie Pop artist Alemeda got students excited for the headliner, Blxst. Emma Pirhala/USD Vista
Olé Fest headliner, Blxst, delivered an electric set for Toreros.
Emma Pirhala/USD Vista
rero lent Torero Talent
Painting by Audrey Hill
“I REALLY FEEL LIKE THE HIGH CHAIRS AND BABY PHOTOS SPOKE LEVELS TO ME ABOUT CHILDHOOD AND THE FLEETING NATURE OF LIFE ” -PAIGE PISCOTTA (FIRST-YEAR)
“I LOVE THE DIVERSITY OF EXPRESSION AND THE MULTIINTERPRETATIONS THAT CAN BE FOUND WITHIN THE EXHIBIT ” -ALI MORRIS (FIRST-YEAR)
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“I THINK IT IS WONDERFUL TO SEE ALL THE DIFFERENT STUDENT PERSPECTIVES THEY ARE SO UNIQUE, BUT SOMEHOW, I STILL LOVE ALL OF THEM “ - ELIZA O’SULLIVAN (SOPHOMORE)
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Spread by: Alissa Abramovich/The USD Vista: Content by Meher Dhaliwal/The USD Vista
Sculpture by Owen O’Rourke
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Drawing by Katerina Mártir Rohena
ARTS & FEATURE
Finding a ‘familie’ in German club USD’s
ANJALI DALAL-WHELAN
FEATURE EDITOR
A typical Saturday night for a member of USD’s German club might consist of anything from a poetry reading to a dinner party at their professor’s house. While most students at USD take Spanish, Italian or French for their language requirements, students who go off the beaten path and take German classes find themselves in the midst of a unique community.
At the beginning of the semester, students in German classes fill out a form about their involvements so that the club can attend games and events to support their fellow peers. Every student enrolled in a German class is automatically a part of the club and encouraged to go to events. But, at the heart of the club are the five student officers and their advisor, USD Adjunct Assistant Professor and Director of German, Dr. Christiane Staninger.
USD sophomore and German club officer Mia Bruckler said that for her, it is more than just a club.
“It feels more like a family community than a club,” Bruckler shared. “College can be big, so having people who can make you feel special is important.”
Staninger, the club’s advisor, was born in Germany and came to the U.S. for an exchange program in high school. Here, she met her future husband. Because her husband couldn’t get a job in Germany, Staninger decided to move to San Diego with him.
After studying literature at the University of California, San Diego, Staninger started working at USD as an English professor in 1995. When Staninger heard
German club cultivates community
that there was an opening in the German department, she was excited. She thought that another professor working in the department was hilarious, and she wanted to work with her. At this point the German department had three or four professors, including a tenured position. Today, the department is even smaller, currently consisting of only Staninger and USD Lecturer Professor Christine Guzman.
When Professor Staninger moved to the German department, the German club’s activities were more traditional for a language club. They had meetings on campus and went to cultural events. When the former German club advisor retired, Staninger took over and switched up the activities, turning the club into what it is today.
“There’s very few authentic events to go to, so we started going to students’ games, performances and events,” Staninger said. “I wanted them to have a sense of community. It took off from there.”
Since then, the USD German club officers have continuously thought of creative club activities, from hiking to bonfires to attending their peers’ activities. Once, Staninger said, the group went on a weekend trip to a bed and breakfast where they pretended to be German tourists.
“The officers have all the ideas,” Staninger said. “Sometimes they are very organized, sometimes they are not, but they are always fun.”
Events that Staninger hosts at her house are some of the students’ favorites.
Staninger recently threw a birthday party for Bruckler at her house, which the German club officers and
Buckler’s own family attended.
“Last weekend it was my birthday,” Bruckler explained. “I told the professor that my family wasn’t going to be able to come, so she wanted to do something special. We planned a whole dinner party event. She basically threw me a 20th birthday party, at my professor’s house. And then my parents ended up coming, my brother came, along with the German club officers and the other German professor.”
Staninger has been able to watch many close friendships develop in the German club. She’s also seen a wide variety in officers’ leadership
style and allows them to take control over the club.
“Over years, it got life of its own,” Staninger said. “They know each other. Sometimes they become roommates and stay together after USD. There is a Facebook group where they chat after graduating. A group of them live in Europe, so they exchange ideas on how to live in Europe. It warms my heart to see these connections.”
USD first-year Madelyn Churches, who is another German club officer, also described her affection for the German club community
“The community is a great group of kind people,” Churches said. “German is not the most popular language to take in college, but everyone I have met is very interested in the language and it makes it a thoughtful and fun group.”
Along with teaching German classes during the semester at USD, Staninger often teaches a summer class in Austria. This third-semester German course goes beyond the typical study abroad experience.
When Staninger first began leading this trip to Austria, it operated like a typical abroad class. Students had afternoons and weekends off and could do as they liked. When Staninger wasn’t teaching, she went on hikes on her own time. However, when students started asking to come on the hikes with her, she realized that students had interest in more local activities.
Now, the trip is a full, three-week immersion in the German language where the students spend nearly all of their time with Staninger — no
weekends or afternoons off.
“Students sign their life away to speak nothing but German,” Staninger said. “They have to really commit.”
Even family and friends who come to visit during the trip can only speak in German. Being with the students all day is exhausting for Staninger, but she says it is worth it.
“It’s a lot of work, but very rewarding,” Staninger described. “Our motto is, ‘We sleep in August.’ I’ve done it for 20 to 25 years, so hiking with a 20 year old is getting harder, but they always wait for me.” Bruckler went on this trip last summer and spoke highly of the experience.
“She plans the entire thing,” Bruckler said. “She knows the owner of the hotel because she has been leading it for so long. She puts a lot of work into making it extra special, which says a lot about her character.”
The Austria trip is not scheduled for this summer, but Staninger looks forward to teaching it in the future.
While Staninger maintains that the German club is mainly led by the student officers, it is clear that her love for her students and German culture is what has upheld this pocket of community on USD’s campus for so many years.
The German club goes beyond a monthly meeting outside of class. It includes the entire German department, creating a home away from home for some Toreros. Students that throw themselves into the community gain a family and create memories that will last long after graduation.
Staninger often teaches a third semester German class over the summer in Austria.
Photo courtesy of Mia Bruckler
German club events often take place at Professor Staninger’s (right) house.
Photo courtesy of
Stop rotting and start healing
Take up healthy habits instead of bed rotting
ZOE ROGERS OPINION EDITOR
It’s common for college students to feel like a good rotting session is needed every once in a while. Whether it be after a stressful week of school, a jam-packed day or just when you need some time to be by yourself, rotting always seems like the ideal way to decompress.
Instead of using this time to “rot” on your phone or watch TV, you should do something more productive for your body, such as taking a nap, reading or taking up a new hobby.
I’ve noticed that the term “rotting” has become commonly used within the past school year and has become quite normalized in my surrounding circles. It’s usually coming up in sentences such as: “I need to rot” or “I’ve just been rotting in bed all day.”
Taking time for yourself and decompressing is not a bad thing. In fact, I find that I need that very often; however, labeling your time as basically “decaying” and then continuing to spend time on your phone for hours on end can be unhealthy.
Charlie Health, an online site specialized in providing guidance for mental health and substance use, emphasized the damages of “bed rotting” in an article written by Ashley Laderer.
“If your bed rotting habit is excessive, it can take a hit
on your physical health and mental health,” Laderer stated.
“Firstly, when you choose to bed rot, you’re choosing to isolate yourself from others, whether that’s your family or friends.
Isolation, particularly a lot of it, can lead to an increased risk of anxiety and depression.
Furthermore, getting used to spending so much time alone could even make you nervous at the thought of social plans and lead you to avoid them.”
It’s natural to want to be by yourself, but spending too much time alone can often make it a habit, eventually
leading to a greater concern.
I have fallen victim to rotting on my phone many times this year. Sometimes it just feels like the best option when you’ve been at school all day, and all you want to do is turn your brain off.
I’ve found that many people — myself included — turn to social media during this time, which is definitely not what I need after a long day of work. Laderer also provided a perspective of the harms of social media when you’re bed rotting.
“If your bed rotting includes plenty of time on social media, this can result in its own mental health consequences, such as increased feelings of isolation or loneliness, fear of missing out (FOMO), and decreased self-esteem, to name a few,” Laderer wrote.
Instead of turning to Instagram Reels or TikTok for your decompressive activities, do something more beneficial for your body. Activities like cooking, going on a walk, reading or even just taking a nap — your body definitely needs it — are simple things that are better for you than scrolling on your phone. If people want to turn their brains off, they should do it with activities that help their body.
Personally, I understand that sometimes it can be hard to do things other than the typical “rot.” I often struggle with reading on my own during the school year. I feel like I am already reading a lot in my classes, and adding more
words into my brain sometimes makes it feel like it’s going to explode. But, I’ve begun to challenge myself to pick up the book that has been sitting on my bedside table and actually read it — instead of just finding entertainment on my phone. While rotting on your phone seems like it’s not good for your mental and physical health, it’s a form of decompression that works for some people, and many don’t feel like it negatively impacts them at all. Ultimately, rotting is still a form of decompressing, which is essential for your body — even if it is not the best outlet to do it. Spending hours on the phone can be the most convenient way to relax, and it’s filled with all sorts of entertainment.
Decompression looks different for everybody. However, the downsides to this method, such as spending loads of time on your phone and not doing the right things for your body to decompress, should still be kept in mind.
After a long day of classes and studying, it’s natural to want to just lock yourself in your room and scroll on Instagram. But, students should think about whether that is the best way to give their brain and body a break after a challenging day. We already spend so much of our lives on screens as college students. Instead, put your phone down and find something that will rejuvenate your body the right way.
Photo courtesy of @Hannah Honigmann/Unsplash
A better way to decompress after a long day, instead of sitting on your phone, is taking a nap.
Photo courtesy of @Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash
OPINION
Ditch the swimsuits and head to
Black’s
Nudity not just optional, but preferred
EMMA PIRHALA NEWS EDITOR
The search for the best bathing suit, or even a decent one, dominates my pre-summer thoughts, turning me into a crude Californian version of Goldilocks — too large, too revealing and too conservative. Rather than wasting any more of my time, I turned to the next best option: nudity.
Although frowned upon at most beaches, La Jolla’s Black’s Beach offers a haven for the bathing-suit-have-nots. Known for its breathtaking cliffs, waves and paragliders, the landscape is not the only sight to see at Black’s Beach. Beachgoers ditch their tops and bottoms, and so did I, to finally determine the answer to the ageold question for native San Diegans and tourists alike: “To go nude, or not to go nude?” After dipping more than just my toes in the water, I believe nudity is the answer.
Now, I consider myself an inexperienced nudist — except for one time in the Netherlands, where nudity is accepted as a norm at spas. Like many other WASPs, white anglosaxon protestants, the particular freedom to express myself was not so free and often met with shrieks and “I’m so sorry for not knocking!”
I even find myself to be quite prudish, rarely wearing revealing clothing and instead heading for the chunkiest, most-enveloping
cable knit sweaters I can find. Yet, I found myself drawn to the upsides of people seeing my downside. For instance, I wouldn’t need to worry about those pesky tanlines getting in the way of my tube tops, or the unfortunate sand-filled bottoms after an inevitable wipeout. Plus, after a season of midterms galore, a brief day of freedom is exactly what I needed. And why not? I came into this world naked — why not just go full circle? So, I ditched my swimsuit
and headed straight for Black’s.
I was not warned beforehand of the trek to get down to this nudist nook. So imagine me, clutching onto the side of a cliff, while passerbys wait for me to get over my fears of falling to my death. I find it important to note that I was, in fact, fully clothed at this time. However, after 30 minutes of fight, flight and freezing, I arrived at the charcoal shores of Black’s Beach. I gladly stripped to the nude and very quickly swam into the
ocean to avoid any potential flashing of spectators trying to enjoy the sun and not my moon. Despite my fears, I found myself feeling free, and unbound by tests, obligations and the expectations of others. Nothing quite beats skinny dipping in the piercing Pacific on an overbearingly sweltering day.
Some may shy away from this particular nude endeavor, instead choosing to cower in their bikinis and boardshorts — citing
the questionable legalities and potential risks. San Diego County Code prohibits public nudity, even at Black’s Beach. But, rangers and lifeguards are historically laxed in enforcing this law. Even when another bare beach-goer cut her foot on glass, the lifeguards gladly, and respectfully, helped out. Yet this doesn’t even begin to cover perhaps the most stressful aspect of nudity — the embarrassment. I, like all people, have my insecurities, and I do not often put them on display for others to see. However, from my experience, nudity beckons a sort of etiquette. I don’t necessarily believe the queen of etiquette, Emily Post, would approve of such a ‘rulebook,’ but by baring it all for others you enter into an agreement of mutual respect. Don’t stare. Don’t approach a fellow nude alone. Don’t set up camp on an empty beach right next to a group of nudes. Just don’t be weird. As long as you respect these rules, you can expect a safe nude experience. However, some things you cannot plan for — like a group of 40 churchgoers, with young children, making their way down to the nude beach while you have all of yourself on display. Surprisingly, this was not one of my most embarrassing moments and did not deter me from my nude awakening.
Despite all the worries I had in my head, and the ones which actually did occur, I would still 100% go nude again. I do not think I will drop out and join a nudist colony anytime soon, but I appreciated gaining a sense of total freedom in a world where not much is free — where rules and deadlines and consequences reign supreme. My little break from reality was much needed, and I recommend that everyone bares it all on Black’s at least once.
While the San Diego County Code does not allow public nudity, Black’s beach-goers are
Zoe Rogers/The USD Vista Going nude to the beach can be a freeing experience.
Photo courtesy of @Alexey Demidov/Unsplash
SPORTS
USD Rowing competes in the Crew Classic
The event showcases some of the best rowers across the nation
LUKAS BLANKENSTEIN
Both the USD men’s and women’s rowing teams were in action from March 28-30 for the San Diego Crew Classic. The crew classic began in 1973 and markets itself as the “premier spring rowing regatta
in the United States” on their website. The event has races for all genders, age groups and skill levels. Both USD teams sent two teams for the eight rower and four rower events.
The USD women’s team had a strong weekend that was capped off by a pair of second-place finishes. The first of these was
the Varsity 8 Cal Cup Collegiate Invitational — an eight rower race. The Varsity 8 rowers finished with a time of 6:52.66 — four seconds behind first place California State University, Sacramento. The second of USD’s two Varsity 4 teams also finished in second place. The team finished six seconds behind University of California, San Diego with a time of 08:31.66.
The No. 25 ranked men’s rowing team also had a successful weekend. The men’s first varsity team started their weekend well with a victory in their opening heat on March 29, beating No. 6 University of California, Los Angeles. They finished with a time of 06:06.89. USD Head Coach Bart Thompson spoke glowingly of his team after his team victory in the opening heat.
“We knew it was going to be a fight early with UCLA, but [USD] made a couple statements,” Thompson said. “The guys did a really nice job with their composure. Just walked through them in the middle, ended up with a really nice, solid margin of victory.”
The men’s varsity team took that momentum into the championship race, where they finished fourth with a time of
06:08.59, 10 seconds behind No.2 ranked University of California, Berkeley. The second Varsity 8 team also had a strong weekend, finishing in second place in the championship with a time of 06:18.75.
After the San Diego Crew Classic, USD junior and men’s rower Rex Bales was added to the Intercollegiate Rowing Coaches Association (IRCA) Athlete watchlist in the D1/ D2 Heavyweight category. This is Bales’ second time with the honor. As a sophomore Torero, Bales was an Empacher-IRCA All-American, First-Team All Western Sprints and First-Team All Western Intercollegiate
Rowing Association, while also being invited to the USA U23 National Team Sweep selection camp. Overall, 28 athletes received the honor of being on the watchlist for heavyweight rowing. The watchlist also included six former Olympians, 16 members of the U23 national team and 21 team captains across the various awarded categories. USD’s successful weekend in their own backyard could potentially be a confidence boost for USD’s rowing teams. The teams will attempt to keep this momentum going ahead of their next races in Philadelphia at the Schuylkill River Invitational on April 12.
STUDENTS FIRST IS SECOND NATURE AT USD .
From life-changing scholarships to cutting-edge facility improvements, employee giving makes a major difference to our entire university community.
Learn more about the Students First! Employee Giving Campaign at www.sandiego.edu/StudentsFirst
USD men’s rowing walking to their race in the Crew Classic. Photo courtesy of @usdmrowing/Instagram
The women’s team rowing at the Crew Classic. Photo courtesy of @usdwrowing/Instagram
March Madness causes mayhem
The men’s basketball tournament through USD’s eyes
presence, sell merchandise, sign endorsements and make appearances for businesses.
On Monday, April 7, the three-week-long men’s March Madness tournament came to a close with the University of Florida taking home the trophy. One of the elements that makes the collegiate basketball tournament unique is the brackets that fans make when betting on the tournament winners. The tournament starts off with 64 Division 1 teams from the four regions of the nation: South, West, East and Midwest. Teams in each respective division play each other until there are four final teams.
This year’s final four were all No. 1 seeds, including the University of Florida, the University of Houston, Duke University and Auburn University. This is the first time this has happened since 2008 and only the second time in history. This historical lineup was something that Ethan Petrie, a USD junior, found engaging.
“I think it was a solid tournament,” Petrie said. “All No. 1 seeds in the final four is definitely a sign of NIL having an effect on the sport, but I don’t think it made any of the basketball less entertaining.”
The NIL acronym stands for Name, Image and Likeness. It is a recent initiative that refers to the rights of college athletes to control and profit from their name, image and likeness. In other words, student athletes can have a prominent social media
NIL allows for all Division 1 students to profit, including USD student athletes. The policy went into full effect in July 2021, and has since changed the face of collegiate sports. Players are motivated to attend highly ranked schools to not only compete at the top level, but also to potentially profit off of the schools name in relation to theirs. This is the effect Petrie is referring to: top-tier programs maintaining their prestige as student athletes are drawn to the financial and skill-level benefits that they provide.
The final four teams contain some of the most top ranked athletes in the nation — athletes like Walter Clayton Jr., L.J. Cryer, Cooper Flagg and Isaiah Evan’s, who profit from NIL. These athletes played in the final four games just two days before the National Championship.
For these games, the Florida Gators beat the Auburn Tigers 79 - 73, and the Houston Cougars beat the Duke Blue Devils in a nail-biter with a final score of 70 - 67. According to the NCAA tracker, where athletes can keep up with games on NCAA.com, Duke had a 92% chance of winning up until the last 1:26 seconds when Houston started knocking down those odds. The Cougars went on a 9 - 0 run in the last 33 seconds of the game, securing a victory for Houston. Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson spoke to ESPN about Houston’s tenacity.
“No one ever loses at anything, as long as you don’t quit,” Sampson explained. “All I can say is, don’t sleep on Houston. Don’t sleep on Houston.”
After another exciting game, the Gators punched their ticket to the National Championship. Walter Clayton Jr., a senior guard at Florida, helped lead the Gators to victory. According to ESPN Stats, Clayton is the first player with 30-point games in both the semifinals and the Elite Eight since Larry Bird for Indiana State in 1979. Florida’s coach, Todd Golden, reflected on Clayton’s vitality.
“I’m just used to seeing him put the ball in the basket, I guess,” Golden said. “But he’s done what he’s done all year for us. In big moments, stepped up, hit huge shots, settled our team down and made winning plays when we needed it the most.”
Both teams put on a show for the National Championship game. The Cougars led for the majority of the game, but Florida gained momentum and crept up in the second half. Houston failed to get a shot off during their final possession with Emanuel Sharp literally dropping the ball and letting the clock run out.
Houston has now appeared in seven Final Four games and three National Championship games, however, they have yet to win March Madness.
In light of the tournament
coming to a close, many USD students are reflecting on the success of their brackets — a March Madness tradition.
Filling out brackets begins on Selection Sunday, which occurred on March 16. This is the day where the NCAA reveals the full tournament bracket list, including all the teams and seeds. People from all over the country print out brackets and fill them out alongside family members, friends and even on betting websites.
Lexie Langberg, a USD sophomore, had high stakes on her bracket this season.
“My boyfriend started a huge group for this year’s March Madness,” Langberg said. “This bracket actually has some money at stake, so I’m taking it more seriously this time.”
Despite this, Langberg admitted that she had limited expertise in filling out the bracket.
“I didn’t really know what I was doing to be honest,” Langberg said. “I kind of just got advice and ran with it.”
USD first-year Rebecca Demonteverde explained she had similar knowledge, but still managed to do quite well.
“Honestly, I did pretty good,” Demonteverde said. “So far, I’ve only gotten nine wrong, which I’ve been told is insane. I’m in the top .01% or something like that, kind of crazy. I just chose the schools off of vibes.”
The chances of getting a
perfect NCAA bracket are pretty astonishing, which is part of the reason why bracket making is fun for students. According to NCAA.com, there is a one in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 chance of creating a perfect bracket if teams are picked at random. For context, that is about one billion billions. That number is whittled down to 120.2 billion if picks are made based on basketball knowledge and statistics. Still, the chances of making a perfect bracket are quite slim. It is so small, in fact, that Warren Buffet has offered to pay one million dollars to anyone who creates a perfect bracket.
The numeric odds didn’t console USD firstyear Maeve Volmer when her team lost, however.
“I think it was rigged personally,” Vollmer exclaimed. “I was devastated when Ole Miss got knocked out.”
The March Madness tournament ended April 7, with Florida defeating Houston in a dramatic matter. With all No. 1 seeds reaching the Final Four for the first time since 2008 and standout performances from NIL-backed athletes, this year’s tournament highlighted both the evolution and excitement of men’s college basketball. From buzzerbeaters to bracket busters, fans across the nation were once again reminded that March Madness lives up to its name.
Florida center, Micah Handlogten, celebrating after the Gator’s win. Photo courtesy of @gatorsmbk/Instagram
From left to right, Joseph Tugler, J’Wan Roberts, Milos Uzan and Emanuel Sharp during the National championship. Photo courtesy of @houstoncougars/Instagram