On newstands weekly
Volume 60 Issue 8
Thursday, November 3, 2022
THE USD VISTA
The Official Student Newspaper of the University of San Diego since 1968
Crowd stampede leaves 154 dead in South Korea USD students react to deadly Halloween festivities
MEI FLORY MANAGING EDITOR Over Halloween weekend, tragedy struck South Korea when 154 people died and 149 were injured from a massive crowd stampede in the Itaewon neighborhood of Seoul. Of the 154 deceased, at least 19 were foreigners, including two Americans. According to Yonhap News, a South Korean news outlet, the incident occurred on Saturday, Oct. 29, with the first reports reaching police authorities at 10:15 p.m. Itaewon is known for its vibrant nightlife and is a popular place for foreigners. The Halloween festivities that took place were the first in nearly three years due to COVID-19 restricting large public gatherings. Since the South Korean government lifted COVID-19 restrictions, larger groups of people became acceptable again. However, the size of the crowd in Itaewon on Saturday made it difficult for individuals to move — and to breathe.
The overcrowded Halloween festivities in South Korea killed over 150 people the weekend. Photo Courtesy of @thekoreatimes_official/Instagram
Leading through service: Rachel’s Night Shelter
How USD Ministry and students are serving San Diego HALEY JACOB FEATURE EDITOR Every few weeks, USD Ministry staff and various students on campus pay a visit to Rachel’s Night Shelter. The shelter is one of many women’s homelessness programs offered through the Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego, a Catholic welfare agency. Students and faculty prepare meals to bring to the shelter and eat with the residents while hearing their stories and experiences. This allows for a deeper
understanding of the issues of homelessness and emphasizes compassion and understanding. USD Ministry has led the program for over a decade, and for the first time in two years, program participants are allowed to stay and share meals again. Last year, program members only dropped meals off, due to safety precautions. The full return of the program has members excited to get back to forming new connections based on in-person interaction and conversations. The Program Leader and Resident Minister Alec Hartman believes Rachel’s Night Shelter
@theusdvista uofsdmedia.com
See Stampede, Page 2
MORE STORIES Increased school shootings See News, page 2
Felons and voting See Opinion, page 4
Women’s Volleyball See Feature, page 6
Climate change protests See A&C, page 9
Don’t miss the latest news. Find us online: @USDVista
In an 11-feet-wide alley near the Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon, over 100,000 people flooded the area, making it nearly impossible to move around and break free. The first reports that local authorities received were related to difficulties breathing, with some individuals passing out and losing consciousness due to suffocation from the tightly packed crowd. NPR reported that some restaurant workers who were trapped inside shops and cafes attempted to open their doors to minors and others trying to escape the crowd in an attempt to save lives. The sheer size of the crowd also posed another challenge for dispatchers to help those who were stuck in the crowd. Yonhap News noted that this was South Korea’s worst tragedy since the 2014 Sewol Ferry tragedy that resulted in the death of 304 people, most of them being high school students. In addition to the deaths, 335 people were reported missing. South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol addressed the country, stating that this
Annual Fall Fest USD students preparing a meal for the women at Rachel’s Night Shelter. Photo courtesy of Alec Hartman
See Rachel’s Shelter, Page 10
See Sports, page 12