2/8/16

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VOLUME 49, ISSUE 31

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2016

WWW.UCSDGUARDIAN.ORG

CAMPUS

LOCAL

THE NEXT BIG INNOVATIONS ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTINA CARLSON /GUARDIAN

Zika Virus May Spread to San Diego from Mexico Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina warned that the river valley needs to be cleaned to prevent a local Zika outbreak. BY Josh Lefler

UCSD IS FULL OF INNOVATORS JUST WAITING TO MAKE THEIR IDEAS A REALITY. THE GUARDIAN SPOKE TO SOME OF THESE ENTREPRENEURS TO LEARN THE SECRETS OF STARTING A COMPANY. Features, PAGE 6

LIMITING ENROLLMENT

FEWER SPOTS FOR CALIFORNIANS OPINION, PAGE 4

TENNIS IN ACTION Men's Tennis pulls off upset sports, Page 12

FORECAST

MONDAY H 75 L 54

TUESDAY H 75 L 52

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY H 75 L 52

H 73 L 52

Photo by Patrick Lazo/UCSD Guardian

Armenian Students Protest Genocide at Silent Tree

S

BY Julie Yip

tudents from the Armenian Student Association gathered in silent protest last Thursday to remember the 1915 Armenian Genocide. Participants had the word “DENIAL” written on red tape covering their mouths, as they sat around the Silent Tree, holding posters with colors of the Armenian flag. Thurgood Marshall College senior Andranik Kulikyan explained to the UCSD Guardian that the purpose of the protest is to increase awareness of genocide in order to prevent similar acts in the future. Within roughly seven years, over 1.5 million individuals were killed in the genocide, according to the New York Times. “We’re trying to honor people who have died, and at the same time, raise awareness for people who might not know that kind of atrocity happened in history,” Kulikyan said. “If you don’t remember what happened in history, it might repeat again. This is our

action in trying to prevent that kind of thing from happening.” Seda Byurat, Earl Warren College senior and head of ASA’s Armenian Genocide Committee, told the Guardian that the United States refuses to federally recognize the historical event given its strong military relations with the Republic of Turkey. Byurat explained that the University of California currently has over $74 million invested in the region. “It’s still in the works, but we’re going to present a divestment from the Republic of Turkey,” Byurat said. “This resolution passed across many UC campuses—UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, just to name a few. Finally, it’s coming here to UCSD. This is our segue into bringing up divestment. Even Hitler quoted, ‘Who, after all, remembers the Armenians?’ when he was trying to get away with his Holocaust. If we keep these huge historical things under wraps, and we keep supporting governments as students, that’s

See GENOCIDE, page 3

VERBATIM THE FINAL STEP IS TO GO AHEAD AND RIP OFF YOUR CLOTHES — REVEALING YOUR FAVORITE SWIMSUIT (WHICH, OF COURSE, YOU’VE BEEN WEARING ALL DAY). NOW RUN STRAIGHT INTO THE GLEAMING BEACH WATERS.

- GONE WITH THE WIND HOW-TO GURU

OPINION, PAGE 4

INSIDE LIGHTS AND SIRENS ....... 2 QUICK TAKES .................. 3 WINTER CAREER FAIR ..... 7 CROSSWORD ................ 10 SOFTBALL .................... 12

UCSD

Voter ID Laws Linked to Low Minority Turnout Researchers examined participation rates among states requiring photo identification. BY Lauren Holt

Researchers from the UCSD political science department released a study showing that strict voter-identification laws reduce minority voter turnout in both primary and general elections. The study appeared online on Jan. 26. “Voter Identification Laws and the Suppression of Minority Votes,” the study conducted by UCSD Political Science Professor Zoltan Hajnal, alongside Political Science graduate students Nazita Lajevardi and Lindsey Nielson, compares the rate at which minorities voted before and after the implementation of photo-identification requirements. Lajevardi explained to the

UCSD Guardian that the research demonstrates the negative effect of identification laws on minorities. “It shows us that minorities in states where there are these really restrictive voter ID laws are not voting and participating in democracy as much as their white counterparts, all else equal,” Lajevardi said. Hajnal pointed out that the study used current election data, creating a more accurate picture of the effect of voter-identification laws on minorities. “Strict voter ID laws have only been put in place in the last few rounds of elections, so if you want to assess the impact of the strictest forms of these laws, you have to look at the most recent elections,” Hajnal told the Guardian. “Scholars

just haven’t been able to do that until now.” The study, comparing the voter turnout of minority groups in states with strict identification laws to those without, reveals that in general elections, Latino turnout in states that required photo identification was 10.3 points lower, while multiracial turnout was 12.8 points lower. Similar reductions were also seen in primaries, with Latino and black turnouts 6.3 and 1.6 points lower, respectively. Lajevardi stated that the frequently changing laws are detrimental to minorities because they are difficult to follow. “[ID laws] are confusing; they come and go,” Lajevardi said. See ELECTIONS, page 2

The Tijuana River Valley may become a breeding ground for mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus unless action is taken to clean up the area, according to executive director of the nonprofit WILDCOAST and Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina. If left polluted, the mosquitoes from the area could travel to San Diego and cause an outbreak of the disease. The Tijuana River Valley, an estuary, sits on the U.S.-Mexico border between San Diego and Tijuana. It is also a hotbed for mosquito eggs because of the trash that accumulates in its marshes. The Zika virus is an infection carried by mosquitoes, which causes mild symptoms of fever, vomiting and rashes. While there have been no reported fatalities caused by the infection, it has been linked to an increase in infants born with abnormally small heads, a condition known as microcephaly. Dedina spoke about the potential danger with FOX 5 News on Feb. 2, where he insisted that the thousands of tires abandoned in the estuary hold stagnant water that provides an optimal space for mosquitoes to lay their eggs. “Those breeding grounds are areas with lots of wastewater [and] tires … in addition to the two species of mosquito — yellow fever mosquito and Asian tiger mosquito — that can transmit Zika,” Dedina told FOX 5. WILDCOAST Director of Communications and Policy Fay Crevoshay spoke to the UCSD Guardian about the issue, saying that this has been a problem years in the making. “Every time it rains, more tires are washing in from the canyon across the border,” Crevoshay said. “This is not just a problem in San Diego but all over the U.S.-Mexico border.” According to the WILDCOAST website, the California government exports approximately two million waste tires to Mexico annually, which are used in short-term building projects, such as shanty houses, makeshift stairs or wall retainers. Eventually, through rain or refuse, these tires end up stateside again in the river systems and estuaries, particularly the one situated between Imperial Beach and Tijuana. The accumulation of tires in the valley could exacerbate the spread of Zika virus if, or when, it begins to circulate in the United States. See ZIKA, page 3


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2/8/16 by UCSD Guardian - Issuu