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Volume 64 Issue 8
Thursday, November 5, 2026
THE USD VISTA VISTA
The Official Student Newspaper of the University of San Diego since 1968
ADA compliance at USD
Vista staff wins
An inside look at accessibility on campus
ALISSA BIALAS NEWS WRITER MAE O’MALLEY NEWS WRITER Many students conquer long flights of stairs and rolling hills on campus each day, but for some, getting around campus comes with an added challenge. Ally MacAulay, a sophomore on USD’s women’s lacrosse team, tore her meniscus in April during a tournament and the injury has kept her on crutches for stretches of the semester. While injured, a termite infestation forced her and her roommates out of their dorm in the Acalá Vista Apartments — commonly referred to as “The Vistas” — and into Pacific Ridge Apartments (PAC). The Vistas don’t have elevators, forcing MacAulay to move her items three stories on an injured leg. “I have a knee injury, can somebody help us out?” MacAulay asked. “And then it was just crickets, no response to that.” Despite her injury, MacAulay
The Acalá Vista Apartments where students do not have acesss to an elevator. Photo courtesy of Univeristy Marketing and Communications/USD Media Gallery decided to move all items out of with the termite infestation, in handicap spots on campus, her room, into the common area of she also had to handle moving until securing a temporary their dorm. When moving into PAC, around campus to get to and handicap placard from the MacAulay recalled the struggle from class. MacAulay got an Department of Motor Vehicles. of carrying her belongings up accommodation from the The DLDRC may provide and down The Vista’s staircases. Disability and Learning Difference other options for students In addition to the difficulties Resource Center (DLDRC) to park See ADA, Page 2
Toreros off the field
On Tuesday Oct. 26, The USD Vista received four awards from San Diego Press, earning first place “College Print Best Newspaper.” The USD Vista competed against student journalists across San Diego County. The awards as follows: College Print Best Newspaper, First Place: Lauren Ceballos and Riley Rains, The USD Vista. News, Third Place: Sophie Hummel for “USD removes Cesar Chavez quote in LCs.” Drawing, Illustration or Cartoon, Third Place: Kyra Lefebvre for “Toreros Spin Tracks.” Media Review, Honorable Mention: Riley Rains for “Heated Rivalry melts heteronormative hearts.” Frank Saldana Memorial Scholarship: Calla Jordan, managing editor, was awarded for her dedication to the journalism craft.
USD football reads to Ocean Beach Elementary School outreach events through a student-led committee. Eloise McGibben is a senior Kids might find a 6-foot-2- at USD and a middle blocker inch, 290-pound football player on the USD volleyball team. intimidating, but not when McGibben recently medically they’re reading a children’s book. retired in 2026 due to injuries, On the morning of Oct. 16, but she still helps out with the USD football visited Ocean Beach team and organizes community Elementary School to engage outreach events. She serves on the with San Diego youth. Kids in USD Student Athlete Advocacy kindergarten through fifth grade Committee (SAAC), where she met the players and mascots plans social and community while learning and reading. The events throughout the year. kids watched the football team “That was, honestly, one of practice at the Torero Stadium. the most impactful things that Maicah Talavou, a senior I have ever experienced in my center for the USD football life, just being able to connect team, engaged in the team’s with those girls and hear about community outreach event. their life stories,” McGibben said. “My teammates and I “A group actually came to our voluntarily went there and second home game this season, wanted to do an act of kindness and a bunch of us got teary-eyed and give back to the community because it made us really happy of San Diego,” Talavou said. “I to see them here supporting us.” got to a couple of the secondMcGibben has helped run events graders just asking, ‘Are you in such as the Linda Vista Parade college? I want to play college and partnered with organizations football.’ That’s what made like The San Diego Autism Tree it even more wholesome.” and San Diego Juvenile Hall. The women’s volleyball Last spring, the USD volleyball team also participates in See Outreach, Page 10 ROCCO PASQUINI SPORTS WRITER
INSIDE
Pictured above is USD football player Dom Nankil reading to kids.
Photo courtesy of @usdfootball/Instagram
Coastal erosion
Wildwood
Torero transportation
Satire: Midterms
Swim and dive record
See News, Page 2
See A&C, Page 5
See Spread, Page 6-7
See Opinion, Page 9
See Sports, Page 11
Don’t miss the latest news. Find us online:
@theusdvista
theusdvista.com
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The USD Vista
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November 5, 2026
NEWS
Coastal erosion pummels San Diego Local neighborhoods hit with flooding and erosion
down, that water comes sloshing back down across the Pacific and raises sea levels. That’s what happened here a little less than a month ago ... Our sea level rose about a foot pretty rapidly.” Seasonal high tides tend to intensify coastal hazards, and as winter approaches, an extra foot of water can significantly raise the risk of flooding and
erosion, according to Cantu. “When you have a rapid change like that, it starts to impact areas that are not as well prepared,” Cantu said. “People who live in cliffside homes are going to be seeing their backyards disappear, their patios disappear ... Houses and streets that don’t normally flood will now get floods.”
As sea levels continue to rise in San Diego, the connection between elevated water levels and coastal erosion has become more pronounced. However, San Diego already faced a high risk of coastline erosion before this event, according to Danny Tal, a USD senior studying environmental and ocean sciences.
“Coastal erosion refers to the degradation of rocks or other matter on the coast due to wind, wave movement, atmospheric deposition or human activities like construction or industrial activities,” Tal said. “As a coastal city which has high wave action and industrial activity, coastal erosion greatly affects the city, as well as putting beach homes at risk.” According to the California Coastal Cliff Erosion Viewer, a tool developed by researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at University of California San Diego, cliffs near Pacific Beach, La Jolla and Sunset Cliffs receded between 0.06 and 0.08 meters per year between the years of 1998 and 2023, running slightly above the statewide average of 0.06 meters. While these numbers show that coastal erosion is not new for San Diego, temporary sea-level rise from El Niño conditions may intensify risks for more vulnerable San Diego communities. Areas from Pacific Beach to La Jolla face potential risks that extend beyond the shoreline, threatening nearby neighborhoods, homes and infrastructure.
condition known and to request academic adjustments,” the U.S. Department of Education wrote. “A student who requests academic adjustments or auxiliary aids because of a handicapping condition may be requested by the institution to provide documentation of the handicap and the need for the services requested. This may be especially important to an institution attempting to understand the nature and extent of a hidden disability.” The University of California San Diego provides special transportation for students with disabilities. Its tram, “Triton Mobility,” operates through an app requiring validation of accessibility eligibility. After validation, users can schedule transportation across the campus in a wheelchair-accessible van or cart. The system provides additional accommodations for students, but there are no regulations that require universities, including USD, to have special transportation for students with accessibility needs.
Noah James, a senior soccer player at USD, struggled to navigate transportation around campus while on crutches with a torn ACL. Beyond trams, which are available to all community members, USD does provide some transportation for students with accessibility needs. “In addition to campus trams, which are ADA accessible and the primary university-supported transportation service, Public Safety and Parking Services are also available to transport students with disabilities and those with temporary mobility restrictions when possible,” a university spokesperson said. “The university strives to accommodate all requests and works with students individually to develop a plan to help address their transportation needs.” USD has options for students in need of accommodations; however, some students still struggle with transportation around campus. “It’s hard to crutch long distances across campus if I
don’t have time to wait for the tram,” James said. “Athletics has offered to get me around the athletic facilities, but getting to class is really up to me. There is a kind facilities employee named Santos that offers me a ride when I see him, but other than that, no.” According to the university, accessibility discussions are ongoing. “At USD, we strive to create a culture of inclusivity which means allowing our community to thrive in all areas of their lives,” a university spokesperson said. “Identifying additional accessibility options for our Torero community is a high priority and discussions surrounding this topic are ongoing not only at our Disability and Learning Difference Resource Center but also across campus.” Suzanne Stolz, associate professor of special education at USD, uses a power wheelchair. Stolz described struggling with heavy doors around campus, and emphasized that, while her power wheelchair makes movement around campus
easier, it doesn’t mean that other students don’t struggle. “It depends on how your body interacts with the environment,” Stolz said. “Being on a hill can be a difficult place for someone who is pushing their manual wheelchair uphill, right? Or someone who is carrying a heavy book bag and managing on crutches. Or someone who maybe has something that we don’t see, maybe has a heart condition.” Students, faculty and staff all have different needs, which is why policies on campus must be flexible, according to Stolz. “The difference between compliance and access is that this [federal] policy is kind of a baseline, this is the minimum that [they] expect if [we’re] going to continue operating,” Stolz said. “People’s needs vary. That baseline does not always meet everyone’s needs.” As USD works to expand its accessibility options, community members navigate the gap between what the baseline laws require and what a campus on a hill demands.
KENDALL EMTMAN NEWS WRITER On Oct. 23, USD alumnus Charlie Jin received a phone call from a friend living near Mission Bay. “Two Fridays ago my friend called me asking if he could park his car at my place,” Jin said. “His house had flooded and he didn’t want his car to get soaked in water.” Over the last several weeks, El Niño conditions contributed to the formation and movement of Kelvin waves across the Pacific Ocean, temporarily raising baseline sea levels and increasing the San Diego coastline’s susceptibility to flooding and coastal erosion. Katrina Cantu, USD professor of environmental and ocean sciences, explained the phenomenon and why it matters. “During an El Niño, the normal trade winds that blow east to west slow down or even stop and reverse,” Cantu said. “Sea levels are typically higher in the Asia side of the Pacific compared to the Americas side of the Pacific because of that wind, but when the wind slows
ADA compliance on campus From ADA, Page 1 according to USD. “If a student’s request is denied, they can share their concerns with the DLDRC director who can help identify other potential options for the student,” a university spokesperson said. USD receives federal funds, now the university is required to comply with the Rehabilitation Act & the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title III, which has regulations on standards for treating students with disabilities to ensure equal access to an education. The regulations refrain from a specific list of conditions or diseases to ensure that people with different needs get the accommodations they need, whether that be short or long term. “It is the student’s responsibility to make his or her handicapping
Coastal erosion hits the San Diego coastline.
The USD Vista Riley Rains - Editor-in-Chief Calla Jordan - Managing Editor Amelie Sedlack - Copy Editor Sophie Hummel - News Editor Julianna Flores - Feature Editor Cristina Trice - Arts & Culture Editor Katt Harding - Sports Editor
Kyra Lefebvre - Art Director Emma O’Connell - Photo Editor Lucas Meza Ehlert - Distribution Manager Ella Fitzpatrick - Social Media Manager Sasha Sepatjian - Director of Finance Nina Dameri - Advertising Manager Dr. Byron Howlett - Operations Advisor Blake Nelson - Student Media Advisor
Art by Kyra Lefebvre
Editorial – 619.260.4584 Business – 619.260.4714 www.theusdvista.com / @TheUSDVista
The USD Vista publication is written and edited by USD students and funded by revenues generated by advertising and a student fee. Advertising material published is for information purposes only and is not to be construed as an expressed or implied endorsement or verification of such commercial venues by the staff or University. The USD Vista office is located on the fourth floor of the Student Life Pavilion in room 403B. All inquiries should be sent to: The USD Vista 5998 Alcala Park San Diego, CA 92110 Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of The USD Vista staff, the University of San Diego or of its student body. Letters to the Editor can be submitted to The USD Vista office. Letters should be limited to 300 words and must be signed. For identification purposes, USD identification numbers and writer’s year must be included in the letter. The USD Vista reserves the right to edit published letters. Any content sent to the editor will be considered for publication unless otherwise stated.
Volume 64 Issue 8
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NEWS
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NEWS
Campus parking drives students crazy Construction leaves 500 parking spaces unavailable
MATTHEW SEDANO NEWS WRITER Ongoing construction of the Integrative Shiley STEM Facility at USD has contributed to parking issues on campus, leaving some students dissatisfied with parking availability and policies. USD senior Katherine Wronski felt the effects of the parking shortage when the West Parking Lot reached capacity and a university employee directed her to park in a designated tow-away spot. “[The employee told me] we have to do this because of the engineering school construction,” Wronski said. “Now the law school parking lot doesn’t allow people to park there anymore.” A USD spokesperson wrote ongoing construction projects have temporarily reduced parking by about 500 commuter and proximity parking spaces. The university expects about 350 parking spaces to reopen in fall 2027 when construction is complete. USD said Mobility Services — the campus department responsible for managing parking, transportation and space scheduling — has previously offered additional parking spaces, including lots typically reserved for resident students at Alcalá Vista and Manchester Village areas.
Overflow from the West Parking Structure lands in the West gravel lot. Ella Fitzpatrick/The USD Vista
During the first few weeks of the semester, the university opened a gate connecting the West Lot to the Alcala Park West facility to provide overflow parking when the lot was full. The university also anticipates around 35 additional West Lot parking spaces becoming available in the coming weeks. Gabrielle Berger, a USD senior
with a West Lot parking permit, was frustrated by the lack of clarity surrounding on campus parking. “Carpool parking hasn’t been clear ... me and my friends carpool a lot and appealing those tickets has been pretty frustrating,” Berger said. USD sophomore Aidan Simmons recommended a more significant change
to
the parking system. “Knock down the alumni center and make that a parking lot or even make parking lots underneath buildings,” Simmons said. USD receives student feedback through its Parking and Mobility Committee, which meets quarterly and includes faculty, staff and student representatives. “Student input has
contributed to several initiatives, including identifying opportunities for additional commuter parking spaces around campus, reviewing and supporting parking fee proposals, recommending improvements to the parking portal as part of the university’s website redesign, and successfully advocating for the release of 320 parking permit upgrades from annual West permits to annual commuter permits,” the spokesperson wrote. Mobility Services said that it regularly monitors parking occupancy by lot and hour to identify demand and available capacity. The university encourages students to use the Parking and Tram tab on the MySanDiego app, which shows parking availability in student lots and realtime campus tram locations. While students can track university transportation through the MySanDiego app, some students say the app is imperfect. “The app is pretty accurate overall, but sometimes it underestimates the tram time,” said USD first-year and commuter Alexandra Neri. As construction continues, the university said that it will continue to monitor parking patterns, evaluate available capacity and make adjustments where possible as construction progresses.
PU B LI C SA FET Y REP O R T Oct. 27 Location: Hahn University Center Incident class: Vandalism At 5:53 p.m. Public Safety received a report of vandalism. The incident occurred between 6 p.m. on Oct. 26 and 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 27. The case was referred to local law enforcement. Oct. 28 Location: Manchester Village Apartments 2 Incident class: Disturbing the Peace; Battery; Drug Law Violation At 10:04 p.m. Public Safety received a report of an incident that occurred between 10:04 p.m. on Oct. 28 and 1:39 a.m. on Oct. 29. Public Safety made a conduct referral. Oct. 30 Location: Main Parking Structure; Valley Residence B- San Luis Obispo Incident class: Disturbing the Peace; Battery At 12:10 a.m. Public Safety received a report of an incident that occurred between 12:10 a.m. and 2:29 a.m. on Oct. 30. Public Safety made a conduct referral. Oct. 30 Location: Pacific Ridge Apartments Incident class: Battery At 12:48 a.m. Public Safety received a report of an incident that occurred at midnight on Oct. 30. Public Safety has closed the case.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The USD Vista published weekly Public Safety Reports from 2003 to 2017. The reports have been reinstated indefinetely. To view USD’s Daily Crime and Fire Log, visit the Department of Public Safety website.
Election Results EDITOR’S NOTE: At the time The USD Vista sent to print, the 2026 Midterm Election ballots were still being tallied. However, as of Nov. 5, The USD Vista has uploaded a web article detailing election results. To read about the results, visit our website: theusdvista.com.
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Volume 64 Issue 8
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The USD Vista
ARTS & CULTURE
Macklemore launches Free Palestine Tour Toreros discuss the intersection of activism and art
CRISTINA TRICE ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR SAVANNAH HARLAN ARTS & CULTURE WRITER Excited fans packed into MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sept. 4, eager to watch the artists they knew were about to take the stage. The U.S. leg of Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour was nearing its end, but not before American rapper Macklemore could join as his opener to close out the last stretch of shows. The Seattle-born artist took to the stage to perform his hit songs including “Thrift Shop” and “Can’t Hold Us,” and to deliver a message to the fans in the audience. Before wrapping up his set, the artist called for an end to the war in Gaza, expressing his support for the Palestinians in the West Bank. “A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so that I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very, very dear to my heart: Free Palestine,” Macklemore said. The artist then played “Hind’s Hail,” a song named for a young Palestinian girl killed by Israeli troops in Gaza in 2024, while video footage from the war played on the big screen. Divided opinions circled the rapper, some praising him for his advocacy, others calling for his removal from the tour. Twelve days later, concert venue owners for the remaining tour dates, led by Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft, gave Sheeran’s team an ultimatum — cut Macklemore from the lineup, or cancel the shows. On Sept. 14, Messina Tour Group released a statement to Rolling Stone. “As the concert promoter for
Ed Sheeran’s U.S. Loop Tour, we have been notified by venues on the upcoming U.S. tour dates that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup, which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans,” Messina Tour Group wrote. “After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates.” USD senior Rowan Daugherty has been a fan of both artists for many years. She shared her thoughts on activism among celebrities. “I do think that celebrities have some sort of duty in a way [to be activists] … especially because a lot of people look up to them,” Daugherty shared. About two weeks after being kicked off of the Loop Tour, Macklemore took to Instagram to announce his own Free Palestine Tour, a 3-stop tour hitting Dublin, Paris and London, whose proceeds would go to 12 organizations that support the movement, including Gaza Soup Kitchen, HEAL Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace and Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, among others. “What happened to me is bigger than one artist or one stage,” Macklemore wrote in his statement. “So, as you all know, my schedule freed up a bit. I’ve spent the last week reaching out to artists who have shown up and used their stages to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people, regardless of the consequences. Artists who understand that our platforms mean very little if we’re only willing to use them when it’s safe.” The tour kicked off with a soldout show in Dublin at the 3Arena on Monday, Oct. 26. Actors Mark
Proceeds of the Free Palestine Tour support organizations like HEAL Palestine. Photo courtesy of @macklemore/Instagram
Macklemore performs night two of the Free Palestine Tour in Paris.
Ruffalo and Cynthia Nixon, as well as The Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas and Irish singer Hozier joined Macklemore onstage for cameo appearances. “I’m so proud of my country and the way they’re showing up and collectively witnessing Palestinian humanity and showing solidarity from here,” Hozier shared on stage. “I’m so proud to say that we have a wonderful history of global solidarity when it comes to issues of emancipation and justice.” The Free Palestine Tour’s second stop in Paris was also sold out, with the final show set for London’s Ovo Arena Wembley. Despite the tour’s commercial success, it has continued to be clouded by controversy. In the lead-up to the London stop, over 50 members of the British House of Lords called for Macklemore to be barred from the country over his remark, arguing that his presence was harmful to public good. Internet personality Dave Portnoy also took to social media backing Robert Kraft in his push to ban the rapper from the remaining U.S. tour dates. Social media commentary on the artist’s actions continue to grow increasingly divided, raising the question of the role of celebrities in speaking up for social issues. USD sophomore Isabella Fonseca spoke about celebrities using their platform for advocacy. “The people that agree with
Photo courtesy of @macklemore/Instagram
what they’re saying are going to like them even more, but people who don’t agree with what they’re saying might stop being their fans,” Fonseca said. “You have to approach it really carefully. I also don’t think that anyone should be slandered for not expressing or vocalizing their opinions.” The success of the Free Palestine Tour follows a larger trend of increasing celebrity activism with action behind it. This past August, singer Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields Music Festival raised $20 million for various charities and allowed fans to engage with the nonprofits directly, giving attendees the ability to learn more about the work they’re doing. This new form of celebrity activism moves beyond merely posting on social media, and it has opened up new conversations about whether art and politics should be linked. Daugherty shared her thoughts on the intersection between activism and art. “In a way, I wouldn’t even say there is a fine line between advocacy and art because advocacy can be art,” Daugherty shared. “Going back to Macklemore, most of his music is advocacy … he has a song called ‘Wings’ … I like that the song is about Nike [shoes], but it’s not [just] about the shoes, it’s about socioeconomic status and growing up in a materialistic world. That is art, but it is [also] advocacy.”
USD senior and history major Ivy Méndez discussed how art and politics are linked. “No art is apolitical,” Méndez stated. “No matter whether you intended to make a political statement or not, you do have [a stance].” The Free Palestine Tour made its final stop in London’s OVO Arena Wembley Friday, Oct. 30. The show featured artists such as Aja Monet and Nemahsis, as well as Swedish activist Greta Thunberg who made an appearance as one of the show’s guest speakers. While the official amount of money raised has not been disclosed yet, the tour ended with three sold-out arena shows. Macklemore also pledged his $1 million earnings from the Loop Tour to support six relief organizations, a vow he challenged Robert Kraft to match. Kraft acknowledged the request on X. “Earlier today, before Macklemore challenged me to match his donation, Ed called me and asked me to commit $2 million to match his donation to aid in the region to fight this humanitarian crisis,” Kraft wrote on Sept. 16. Kraft has not confirmed if he will match either donation. Despite the controversy, fans from all over filled the venue in Europe, packing the arenas with thousands of excited music lovers for a night of community, joy and art from performers they loved.
Volume 64 Issue 8
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ARTS & CULTURE
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The USD Vista
‘Wildwood’ highlights human creativity
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Handmade animation stands out in the age of AI
MACKENZIE SMITH ARTS & CULTURE WRITER For many movie lovers, animation is often considered a genre for children and is frequently associated with frivolous themes and familyfriendly cartoons. In reality, the medium represents some of the most intensive labor and love in the film industry. This idea of artistic devotion industry is a recurring discussion especially in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). “Wildwood,” a new Laika Studios film, seeks to explore human art and creativity in the midst of the ongoing development of AI. The film is a stop-motion work that took over 16 years to make and is the longest stop-motion movie to date with a run time of two hours and 19 minutes. Animators had 24 different face molds for every second a character’s face was on screen and hundreds of puppets. These puppets were built with mechanically engineered diaphragms in them called breathers, which the animators could adjust with a small key to make the puppet look like it was breathing. USD Film and Video Arts Professor Joshua Tonies discussed how stop-motion immerses the audience in the art. “As someone who works with stop-motion animation, I definitely have a personal bias,” Tonies said. “I think this is a medium of animation that’s so haptic, the surfaces and senses that it telegraphs really support the viewer’s immersion in a world that feels wild, fragile, alive. In the film, tiny forests, hand made creatures, real textures — they give the wilderness a sense of weight and presence.” The film follows Portland teenagers Prue and Curtis, as they enter the Impassable Wilderness to rescue Prue’s baby brother, Mac, who was abducted by a
murder of crows. The characters immediately get separated and traverse the woods on their own, each going on a personal journey of self-discovery. Eventually, Prue and Curtis find their way back to each other, uniting for a final fight. The battle scene was made up of over 3,000 separate figurines and is the largest-scale battle in stop-motion history. While “Wildwood” didn’t
initially do well at the box office, it serves as a love letter to the people who helped make it as well as Portland, Oregon, where Laika is based. One of the first scenes includes Prue biking through Portland. The scene highlights local stores and fan-favorite landmarks. It then moves into the woods showing the natural beauty of the forests
Art by Kyra Lefebvre
that surround the city. “Wildwood” operates primarily as a pastime of Travis Knight, the head animator, director and producer. His father, Phil Knight, is the CEO of Nike and funds and owns the studio. This allows for Laika to operate as a passion project and produce highbudget stop-motion films like “Coraline” and “The Box
Trolls” without needing every release to turn a profit. While Laika’s films are animated they typically harbor more intense themes. Typically, animated films are less serious, more often made for children to enjoy, but Laika adds complex events and subjects, altering the bias of what an animated film is supposed to be. Tonies shared his thoughts on Laika’s unique take on animation. “Their films always have an unusual edge,” Tonies said. “When I think of classics like ‘ParaNorman’ and ‘Coraline’ and ‘Kubo and the Two Strings,’ they bring in this eerie, emotionally complicated material dealing with subjects like fear, loss and family conflict to broad audiences.” The production of “Wildwood” comes at a point in human history of AI permeating many spaces, especially artistic ones. A film that is completely handmade reminds viewers that human creativity can exist without the presence of technology. USD sophomore Natalie Ramirez commented on AI’s impact on art. “AI has really hurt artists and the art industry as a whole,” Ramirez said. “Using AI makes people lazy. The whole point [of art] is putting quality and care into it. When you put AI into things, it just starts making everything look messy, there’s things that don’t make sense.” While AI may continue to appear in many creative spaces, human creativity and passion is not replaceable. “Wildwood” shows that only ingenuity can deliver new ideas and approaches to already existing genres and mediums. As people look to the future of cinema, it seems as though passion and love for creating will continue to be appreciated despite the rapid rate at which AI is growing.
Torero Sudoku This week’s Sudoku:
SHY BROWN GAMES EDITOR
Easy
Medium
Hard
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The USD Vista
Photo courtesy of Samantha Sundal
“I enjoy rollerblading because it makes me feel like I’m floating. I’ve always wanted to learn and this year I finally started. I was inspired by all of the cool people that I saw on the boardwalk who made it look so effortless.” Samantha Sundal, sophomore
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November 5, 2026
Torero Tran
Whether biking, driving, wa tandem biking, there are sev to and from class. In order t campus, students hav transportation tactics. Read swift and efficient adventu on cam
Photo courtesy of Ashton Cohn
“My favorite thing about my car is that it has 545,000 miles and it’s still driving like brand new.” Ashton Cohn, sophomore
“If you need a few extra minutes in your dorm, and you don’t feel like walking because it’s raining or it’s too cold or hot, then I definitely would recommend taking the tram.” Nayla Hifri, senior
Art by Kyra Lefebvre/The USD Vista: C
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nsportation
alking, roller blading or even veral ways students can get to get over the hilly parts of ve resorted to various to find out how to ensure a ure to your next destination mpus.
Photo courtesy of @usd_outdooradventures/Instagram
Content by Adela Tabak and Julia Hurtado
FEATURE
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The USD Vista
Photo courtesy of @usd.tandem/Instagram
“Some camaraderie benefits depend on where you’re coming from or getting picked up. Say you are in the Vistas or Pacific Ridge with a group of friends, riding tandem to class could be useful.” Tristin Pecevich, junior Riley Rains/The USD Vista
“My [FAST IK] license plate used to reflect how I drove, but I’ve slowed down a bit since then, so now it’s somewhat ironic.” Edward Gomez, senior
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Volume 64 Issue 8
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OPINION
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The USD Vista
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OPINION
Where is our boiling point?
Art by Kyra Lefebvre
A reflection on climate change and when enough is enough REESE WELLS OPINION WRITER Every week, our news channels fill with reports of overwhelming temperatures, rising sea levels and tropical storms on a scale never seen before. In June alone, the Arctic had its warmest summer on record and global sea ice levels dropped to their fourth-lowest ever. In San Diego, we have faced record-high temperatures in early October. In late August, students across campus suffered from heat stroke and heat exhaustion in their dorm rooms. Talk to any San Diegan and they will tell you — this is not normal. If we continue along this same path, the San Diego we know and love will not look the same in 25 years. Experts predict that by 2050, sea levels will be 12-18 inches higher, our city will face a major water shortage and we will not be able to meet our energy needs. These recent weeks are further
proof that hot weather and its implications are becoming a norm in our beautiful city. Imagine USD in 20 years: the Valley might not be hospitable without air conditioning. Everything about the condition of our planet is not normal. We have heard about it for years, whether in the pleas of new headlines or the clamoring of climate activists. What they have to say, in theory, should strike fear into our population.
The reefs are dying. The animals are going extinct. The forests are disappearing. These sentences seem like something straight out of a dystopian novel, but they are our reality. This is something we’ve become desensitized to, which is why the majority of people will only ever read these headlines.
Our politicians will continue to ignore them in favor of money or popularity. Everyone, except the brave few, think that someone else will come along and care enough to get into action. But that’s just the thing. It shouldn’t be just a select group of people who fight for change. Global climate is just that — global. It affects all of us. Every mother, father, child and creature we care about all share this planet as a home. People should be taking to the streets, demanding a change. Rising global temperatures, extreme weather events and changing climates suggest that we are still heading toward a dark future, yet we have become complacent with the bad news. So when does enough become enough? How bad will things have to be for us to realize the need for change? When will the fire of action finally be lit beneath us? Ideally, that fire would be lit now. The problem many people
face is not knowing where to start. Here on campus, The Nonprofit Institute in Mother Rosalie Hill Hall has analyzed our campus’s yearly statistics for greenhouse gas emissions and found that the majority of it comes from vehicles and building energy use. To give a quick and easy example of how to combat this, even just turning off the lights when you leave the room can, over time, contribute to the downtrend of high energy usage. There are also quite a few clubs dedicated to the effort. Groups like Engineers for a Sustainable World, Good Food Club and Sustainability Club are all examples of USD students trying to make a change. These groups, in their own ways, are dedicated to pushing that change we want to see. By participating in them or supporting them yourself, you can help make that change too. Simple research will broaden your understanding of local communities’ efforts for
change. From there, figuring out how to join in just requires some ingenuity and some courage.
Finding out about efforts for change isn’t the hard part. It’s making the change yourself and having those changes stick that is difficult. It is easy to make the situation sound hopeless. These past weeks of fluctuating weather show that even in our own home, things are changing. Maybe parts of the situation are hopeless, and maybe that’s our fault. But there is so much opportunity for good, and the window for advancement and improvement in the way we treat our planet is anything but closed. There are so many opportunities to turn it around, if only we could say enough is enough and start that desperately needed change.
The views expressed in the editorial and op-ed sections are not necessarily those of The USD Vista staff, the University of San Diego or its student body.
Have an opinion? We want to hear it! The Vista is now accepting essays from students, faculty, staff and community members about the issues that matter to them. If you’d like to submit an opinion piece between 400 and 800 words, please reach out to vistaeditor@sandiego.edu.
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Volume 64 Issue 8
• OPINION •
The USD Vista
OPINION
Stepmom, or the mom who stepped up? Children’s media made us scared of stepparents
JULIANNA FLORES FEATURE EDITOR Once upon a time, there was a young girl with divorced or deceased parents and a wickedly evil stepmother. The stepmom was cruel, bossy and cold to the young girl. This new woman stepped in and ruined what once was so perfect. The tale is as old as time: a child with an evil stepparent that abuses them. “Cinderella,” “Hansel and Gretel” and “Snow White” are just some of the fairytales that portray this problematic archetype. When I was a child, I remember many of my friends being confused by my blended family, not understanding fully why I had “dad’s weekends” and “mom’s weekends.” I remember people looking at me with a raised eyebrow when I would tell them the man who was at my choir recitals and picking me up from school was my stepdad. Although my stepdad is a kind, loving father figure, many people around me made me feel ashamed that I had a blended family, especially because my mom was a single, divorced mom for a portion of my early childhood. Unknowingly, by watching media which propagates
falsehoods about stepparents, the fairytale logic follows deep into our society’s values. There are misogynistic undertones to these characters, as they are usually stepmothers. This has real life consequences for women. A study done by a dating app called “Even” interviewed around 800 women, who were single moms, reporting that almost half of them are fearful to date because of the “wicked stepmom” label. A whopping 77% said the fear was planted in them from a young age by shows and films. Although this is a snapshot of this phenomenon, it echoes these thoughts that many stepmothers describe. This expectation of motherhood is that you have your own children that you devote your life to. If a woman finds herself in a partnership with stepchildren, the societal understanding is that you will never fulfill the child’s needs like the biological mother could. In reality, many of these women do not hope to be in competition with another
mom, but rather want to support the child in any way they can. The logic here is that biological parents are supposed to be the caretakers of
Stepmother? Art by Alicia Higuchi
the family. The natural order is that the biological parents are the source of love for their children. If a stepparent comes in, they are an unnatural substitute. Two heteronormative
parents with two children, stepparents reflect a truth about our society that many fairytale stories do not want to tell. Stories like “Snow White,” reflect the idea that stepmothers are ugly decrepit beings who will hurt your children. As young children, we read these stories and internalize them. Although it is not intentional on the child’s end, the story has real-life consequences on the way people view stepparents. These portrayals make it seem almost elite and superior to have a traditional family. There is a sort of sadness that comes when someone explains they have a stepparent or their parents are divorced. Many people do this unconsciously; they feel pity for the child of divorce. Fairytales were written in a world where a parent’s remarriage was a source of fear. In the context of the 19th century, life expectancy was much lower and when mothers died during childbirth, a father would remarry to have someone take care of his children. Some of these old tales were told as a way to discuss
maternal rage and taboo feelings before it was normalized. Now these stories have generational effects on women in maternal roles. Of course, there are good representations of stepparents in the media that can have positive influences on the way people view blended families. Jay from “Modern Family” is a good example of a father who stepped up with his stepson Manny. In “Juno,” Juno’s stepmom is another fantastic example of someone coming in and supporting their spouse’s children. Sometimes, divorce can lead someone to find the person they were meant to be with. The vast majority of stepparents in real life are not disgustingly abusive. They are usually people who choose to enter a person and their child’s life, knowing that a relationship with the child takes time to cultivate. The wicked stepmother is a twisted portrait of real stepparents. These stories were handed down to children who grew up repeating them, continuing the cycle of misunderstanding. The next time someone says they have a stepmother, instead of pitying them, think about how she is probably the mom who stepped up.
SATIRE
The midterm crisis
Semester found to have ‘several middles’ KATT HARDING SPORTS EDITOR At 9:04 a.m. on a Tuesday, professors around the university announced their fourth midterms of the semester. Nobody panicked. Experts say that’s how you know it’s too late. Scientists cannot explain how a semester with one beginning and one end can sustain four middles. The university can, and it would like you to stop asking. The first sign was subtle. In September, professors announced midterm exams. In October, another. By November, students refreshing Canvas at 11:59 p.m. understood, with a cold clarity, that the semester had grown a second “halfway” point, then a third. “I asked when things would calm down,” a student said, requesting anonymity because of a Thursday midterm. “An administrator told me, ‘After midterms.’ I asked ‘which ones?’ He said ‘yes.’” Our investigation led to the creation of the Department of Temporal Assessment committee, a 14-member staff that has never met before noon and has never,
to our knowledge, seen the sun. Their 86-page report concludes that a midterm is not defined by when it happens, but by its “relationship to the learning process.” Translation: it’s a midterm if a professor feels like testing you. The committee also rejects the word “test” as “unnecessarily evaluative.” The department then spent a full year studying whether midterms could occur after finals. It postponed its findings twice, then scheduled a midterm to assess its progress. Sources were able to trace the problem back to a 2020 efficiency initiative. Its name : MIDTERM-OS. The software measures the gap between how prepared you are and how prepared your professor wants you to be. When the gap gets big enough, MIDTERM-OS generates an exam. The flaw is that students are never prepared enough, so the software spits out midterms almost indefinitely. Nobody can find the off switch, mostly because nobody can find the person who installed it. The terms of service do note that the academic calendar is “merely advisory.” The system has since reclassified students’ quizzes,
papers and at least one oral presentation as “midterms.” Finals are now “post-midterm consolidation assessments.” Students who pass are flagged for “additional verification of competence,” since success these days is a little far-fetched. “MIDTERM-OS generated 12 midterms for me last Friday,” Sprinkles McCramsworth said, a junior majoring in applied procrastination. “My professors greeted me with a placid smile and a bluebook.” On campus, the effects are everywhere. The library has converted The Mother Rosalie Room into an escape for students to cry; the Harry Potter room has been renamed to “multidisciplinary wellness space.” The bookstore now offers a scantron subscription. Students no longer introduce themselves by major, only by status: taken, studying or just found out. “After midterm” is now a historical expression, like “before the internet.” At a press conference, a spokesperson praised the exams as proofof “aninstitutional commitment to continuous learning.”
“How can there be four midterms?”a student-reporter asked. “We reject the assumption that time must be linear.” “Isn’t the semester only 16 weeks?” “We prefer to think of it as more of an abstract series of learning opportunities.” “Will students have fewer exams next semester?” “Actually, we are pleased to announce a fifth midterm, designed to assess student resilience.” One sophomore proposed a radical fix: call an exam an exam! The idea was tabled pending a feasibility study on whether the word could be used “without compromising the mission of preparing students for an unpredictable future.” A second proposal, one midterm per class, was rejected for creating an “unacceptable gap in assessment” and risking “unmonitored personal growth.” Let’s name some honest reforms here: the “Denial Assessment,” the “Existential Checkpoint” (tests both course material and what remains of your identity), the “Academic Reckoning” (held the same day three other classes schedule exams) and the “Midterm of Syllabi,”
which has been revised so often that no one can say whether it’s the exam stated on the syllabus or not. Last week, the university announced the crisis was solved. All future exams will be classified as midterms, ending the terminology debate. Administrators called it a landmark in academic efficiency, noting that students will no longer need to remember which midterm they’re studying for, since all of them are equally important. The calendar is now technically accurate. The problem has still not changed. That is the part that should worry us. Nobody is arguing against exams. Assessment exists to serve learning. But when an institution renames its contradictions instead of fixing them, people slowly stop noticing there is anything to fix. A word starts to matter more than the thing it describes, and “that’s just how it works” begins to sound like an answer. An additional exam has been scheduled to assess student acceptance of the midterm policy. It will take place during finals week. It is, according to the syllabus, a midterm.
The views expressed in the editorial and op-ed sections are not necessarily those of The USD Vista staff, the University of San Diego or its student body.
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The USD Vista
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November 5, 2026
SPORTS
Athletics community outreach From Outreach, Page 1 team went to the San Diego Juvenile Hall, one of two San Diego youth detention centers to engage with the girls there by playing volleyball and eating lunch together. McGibben spoke of her experience at the juvenile hall. McGibben has been a part of SAAC since she transferred to USD in January 2024. She encourages others to participate in student-run community outreach programs. “I see a big difference between those who get involved and those who don’t,” McGibben stated. “And I feel like it just makes you such a well-rounded person, and it brings a lot more joy to your sport.” The men’s soccer team is also heavily involved in community outreach. Last spring, the men’s soccer team as well as swim and dive, softball, football and women’s soccer hosted Inclusive Sport Field Day at Manchester field. The Toreros partnered with the Inclusive Sport Foundation where they played different sports with kids regardless of their abilities. USD junior Luca Fava is a starting midfielder for the men’s soccer and the mental health chair for the SAAC. “We did it two years ago, and it was maybe a quarter of the size, so it had grown tremendously,” Fava stated. “It’s special… a lot of the guys that helped out with that were
KATT HARDING SPORTS EDITOR
Senior nose tackle Jae’Von Reels reads a book to young kids in Ocean Beach.
all really happy that they did.” The USD women’s track and field team helps run events that interact with a much larger demographic. The team volunteered at the Linda Vista Multicultural Fair last spring, where they helped with set-up, activities and day-of operations. Amy O’Connell, a junior at USD, coordinates
Photo courtesy of @usdfootball/Instagram
community outreach events for the cross country team. O’Connell shared her experience engaging with the community. “We work a lot with the Linda Vista community, specifically helping out with the Linda Vista Multicultural Fair as well as color in motion,” O’Connell said. “This is a new program, focusing on elementary school
Crossword Puzzle
kids. We get the kids engaged with each other, [the] sport and the community around them.” Next spring, USD athletics will return to two community events: Inclusive Sports Day and the Linda Vista Multicultural Fair, happening April 27, 2027. Both provide chances for athletes and neighbors to participate in community outreach efforts.
Crossword theme: Coffee
SHY BROWN GAMES EDITOR
1
Across
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2. Italian word for a person from the United States
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5. Ultra-fast!
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6. Natural stimlulant found in tea
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8. Meddle or alter? 10. A witches _____
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Down 1. Frijoles, in Mexico 3. A power source for early
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locomotives 4. The hustle of a daily routine 7. Unhinged, really needs a _____
Scan For Answers
Weekly athletics recap
9. A playful mockery
10
Across:
This past week, women’s volleyball extended its winning streak, football earned a one-point victory at home, men’s soccer secured a conference tournament berth and both cross country teams competed at the West Coast Conference (WCC) championships. Women’s soccer also finished its regular season with a road draw. Women’s volleyball pulled out a three-set sweep of the University of San Francisco, winning 25-7, 25-16 and 25-22. Senior outside hitter Kierstyn Barton led the Toreros with 15 kills and three blocks, while senior Nemo Beach added eight kills. The team then defeated Santa Clara University 3-1 on Saturday. Losing the third set, the Toreros won the other three to take the match. First-year Emma Brewer led the team with 19 kills, while Beach added 12 kills and three blocks. The win marked USD’s sixth consecutive victory. Men’s and women’s cross country competed at the WCC Championships, where the men’s team finished eighth and the women’s team placed ninth. Junior Camryn Kozak led the women’s team, placing twenty-eighth in the 6K. Firstyear Parker McAdam led USD by placing fifty-first in the 8K. Women’s soccer ended its regular season with a 2-2 draw against Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. After falling behind early, USD tied the match in the second half. Pepperdine regained the lead, but first-year Abby Haley scored late to bring the Toreros level again. Senior goalkeeper Ilise Medrano recorded several saves during the match. Football defeated Marist University 41-40 at home on Halloween. Senior quarterback Dom Nankil threw for four touchdowns, while graduate student wide receiver Elijah Taylor recorded catching nine passes for 138 yards and a touchdown. The one-point win improved USD’s Pioneer Football League record. Men’s soccer defeated Seattle University 4-2, securing a spot in the WCC Tournament. After a close first half, the Toreros scored two goals in the second half. Senior Steven Ramirez scored twice. Juniors Iain Wagner and Taj Eagleston each added a goal as well. The win guaranteed USD a place in the postseason tournament.
Volume 64 Issue 8
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SPORTS
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The USD Vista
SPORTS
Mind on the board
Brooke Blaylock breaks school record at Pomona-Pitzer Invite ELLIE HARDMAN SPORTS WRITER
KATT HARDING SPORTS EDITOR
Amidst a day of cheering teammates, last-minute pep talks from coaches and a roaring crowd, junior diver Brooke Blaylock stepped up to the diving board in her first meet of the fall season. Like most events for the women’s swimming and diving team, the Pomona-Pitzer Invite on Oct. 24 brought out high energy from the athletes and ended with a record-breaking performance from Blaylock. In both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving category, Blaylock set new school records that had previously been set in 2011. On the 1-meter springboard, Blaylock scored a 310.95 and on the 3-meter a 288.20 springboard at the Haldeman Pool. The score comes from a combined ranking from a panel of five judges. The team as a whole finished third overall, with a combined score of 1,083 points. Blaylock transferred to USD from California Lutheran University and decided to take up diving midway through her sophomore year. After not being able to compete in the season opener at Pepperdine University on Oct. 10 due to illness, Blaylock went into the October meet with a clear mind and goal. “I kind of just went in hoping just to get all my dives off the board and just see
Blaylock high-fives her teammate getting out of the pool. where I’m at a starting point in the season,” Blaylock said. The swim and dive team brings a major support system to their events, hyping each other up and even cheering for rival teams, Blaylock added. Stepping up onto the board, however, requires a mental shift. “I try to turn my brain off,” Blaylock said. “So in the moment when I’m off the board, I’m talking to my friends and keeping myself distracted. Then right before, I go through the motion of my dive and picture and visualize myself up there. When I’m on the board, I kind of just turn my brain off. One, two, three and go.”
Photo courtesy of @usd.swim.dive/Instagram Blaylock noted that diving you’re holding back, that’s often brings out her perfectionist not what we want to see.” mindset that was fostered One of the ways the coaching by her years as a gymnast staff likes to combat this prior to taking up diving. mindset is by aiming to Her diving coach, Amy prioritize improvement over Alexander, came from a achievement, according to similar path, having pursued Alexander. Rather than go diving after an injury into a meet with high personal ended her gymnastics career. expectations, Alexander Alexander mentioned how reminds the athletes to build a large part of her coaching their own self-assurance is trying to dismantle the outside of a judge’s score. hypercritical mindset “As a coach, one of my pet holding many athletes back. peeves is when coaches try “I remind them to make and live vicariously through mistakes because you’re trying their athletes and base to make the corrections,” their self-worth on how their Alexander said. “If you’re athletes perform,” Alexander making mistakes because said. “I would rather see the
Blaylock dives into the water during one of her competitions.
COMING UP THIS WEEK
progress in the athletes of them building confidence.” Alongside the mental framing, Alexander noted the correlation between being forward-focused and the players being goal-oriented. Following meets like the Pomona-Pitzer Invite, Alexander encourages the players to make note of what they were proud of themselves for, what they can improve on and picking one of their teammates to particularly compliment and uplift. First-year swimming sprinters Eleni Charnas and Katerina Wietfeldt felt the effects of the team’s priorities even in their first few months on the team. Both came from high schools where swimming and diving were separate teams, and they said the combined program, known as “swive,” was a change from that experience. “It doesn’t matter if you’re getting up on a block or a platform or a springboard,” Wietfeldt said. “Everyone’s going to be behind or next to or across to the pool from you just to watch what you’ve been putting in the work for.” Wietfeldt said training sessions focus on small details so athletes can compete without overthinking on meet days. On meet day, Blaylock’s marks replaced the school records that had stood for 15 years. Blaylock set both records in her first meet of the season. Blaylock and her team will compete in one more meet before the midseason invite on Nov. 18-21 at Utah Tech University.
Photo courtesy of @usd.swim.dive/Instagram
WTEN at ITA Sectional Championships Thursday, Nov. 5 Los Angeles, CA
MTEN at ITA Sectional Championships Thursday, Nov. 5 Los Angeles, CA
MTEN vs SoCal Intercollegiate Tennis Championships Thursday, Nov. 5 San Diego, CA
WTEN at San Diego State University Invitational Friday, Nov. 6 San Diego CA
BVB at Loyola Marymount University/ UCLA Friday, Nov. 6 Los Angeles, CA
BVB at AVCA Collegiate Beach National Championships Friday, Nov. 6 Hunstville, AL
WTEN at ITA Sectional Championships Friday, Nov. 6 Los Angeles, CA
MTEN at ITA Sectional Championships Friday, Nov. 6 Los Angeles, CA
The USD Vista
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November 5, 2026
AR TS & FEATURE
Getting to the source
Behind the food systems that operate on campus ELLA FITZPATRICK SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER It’s a Monday night and you’re hungry. You wander out of class and into the Student Life Pavilion (SLP). Upon entering, you’re greeted with a multitude of choices: Tapenade, Sea Salt Grill, Maiz, Nori Now, Mu Shu, Heirloom Cucina and more. You get your dish and sit down. But, before digging in, consider where this food came from. The answer is not simple nor clear. Food comes from many different places and requires many different forms of labor before it is presented to students at the SLP. Crops are produced by farmers, processed by factories, transported and sold by companies and prepared by laborers, creating a disconnect between each stage of the food supply chain. USD Professor Colin Fisher teaches classes in food and environmental history. Fisher described the disconnect from food that students experience on a college campus. “It’s a bubble environment, and I think that many students have very little understanding of where their food comes from, as do many Americans,” Fisher explained. “Maybe we have less understanding on a campus because everybody
Sysco is USD’s primary food vendor.
is working really hard and doesn’t have time to think about this or ask the question.” First-year and sophomore resident students are required to have a meal plan. USD sophomore and student worker
The food sourced at USD comes from multiple initiatives. Tommy Doyle/The USD Vista
at Crush Juice Bar Emily Dohrman has a meal plan but explained that even as an auxiliary service worker, she is not entirely sure where USD’s food is sourced from. “I think that just because we’re on campus and a lot of students are on the meal plan, they’re just going to eat the food that is on campus regardless of where it’s sourced,” Dohrman said. According to USD’s website under the dining resources “sustainability” tab, the university’s primary food vendor is Sysco, one of America’s largest food distributors. The vendor is an international corporation, outsourcing food to approximately 90 countries with more than 700,000 customers, including restaurants, universities, hospitals and hotels. The University of California San Diego also uses Sysco as one of its primary food vendors. USD’s website states that it is committed to sourcing some of its food locally. “80% of our baked goods are made within 5 miles of USD… This supports the local economy and decreases our carbon footprint,” reads the sustainability tab on USD’s website. The website does not clearly state which local bakeries it sources from. However, according to Lorenzo Eribez, a unit leader at La Paloma, one of the local bakeries that USD sources its baked goods from is “Bread and Cie.” The bakery and cafe
Photo courtesy of @codyperales/Instagram has operated in Hillcrest since she helped implement this 1994, serving breads and architecture on campus. pastries made from scratch. “I worked with the manager Dining locations on campus at Bert’s Bistro and La Paloma, also serve coffee from Ryan to change the menus to make Bros, an alumni-owned and them plant default,” Booher locally operated business. said. “We made all of the On USD’s campus, there salads plant default and so are different initiatives in even the dressings on the place that support student salads are vegan, and students food choices and sustainable can still add on steak, chicken food systems. One initiative or tofu for a cheaper price.” is the Center for Food USD Sociology Professor, Systems Transformation Julia Cantzler collaborated (CFST) which was launched with CFST in the spring of in the fall of 2024. 2025 to establish the Student USD Professor Aaron Food Choices Survey. The Gross who has a doctorate survey found that more than in religious studies is the 80% of the student population director of CFST. Gross were concerned about the explained the reasoning harms of food production and behind CFST’s establishment. roughly 75% were interested “I think there is a huge gulf in adding more plant-based between the values people options to campus dining. have, whether here at USD or “There’s more other places, and the values thoughtfulness around that actually guide our food purchasing and the sourcing system,” Gross explained. of food on campus that is “So, the center was formed oriented around sustainability, because it turns out that the then we actually know,” policies we make around food Cantzler explained. as a government actually affect According to the university’s issues people care about.” 2026 sustainability report, The CFST program USD uses 100% certified employs different practices, humane cage-free eggs, 90% in order to nudge students reduced antibiotic chicken and toward more plant-based, 73% humane certified pork. sustainable options. “There is an important “This amazing kind of [percentage] of items that research is what’s called choice aren’t traceable and therefore architecture,” Gross explained. aren’t reported,” reads “You can make small changes the bottom of the report. in how food is served that The university does not end up having a fairly big clearly state where all of its impact on what people eat.” food comes from. However, USD sophomore and there are a variety of different fellow of the CFST program food systems that support Piper Booher explained how sustainability in many ways.