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Volume 60 Issue 9

Thursday, November 10, 2022

THE USD VISTA

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

USD’s first LGBTQ+ fraternity Delta Lambda Phi’s founding members and their aspirations

to take a religion class, and they would preach about this or talk about that or I would have to go to church,” Aragon reflected. “But so far everything has been very welcoming. It’s interesting, because USD is a very different Catholic university compared to others; for instance, if I went to a Catholic university in the south or midwest, it would be a very different experience.” Lucko shared similar concerns with Aragon. “Over the summer going into my freshman year, I was starting to think a little more about how the religion of the school would play into who I am and the friends I would make, and ultimately how I would express myself,” Lucko said. Though both Aragon and Lucko had hesitations, USD’s “Queer Housing Initiative” eased their qualms. The LGBTQ+ and Allies Commons created the housing initiative, which allows queer students to connect and choose a potential roommate pairing. This initiative allowed the men to live with fellow queer students during their first year at USD. It was through this initiative that they formed the “J gays.” “So us three: Jacob, Jake

ALLIE LONGO ASST. FEATURE EDITOR HALEY JACOB FEATURE EDITOR Delta Lambda Phi (DPhi), a fraternity for queer men and LGBTQ+ allies, is in the process of joining the University of San Diego’s campus and will be the first queer fraternity at a religious university. The initiative to establish DPhi began with multiple sophomore men who wanted to create an inclusive social space for queer students on campus. The idea to found DPhi was shaped by the men’s personal experiences of being gay students at USD. Three best friends: Jacob Aragon, Jake Lucko and Jackson Hinz spearheaded bringing the fraternity to USD. Alongside the men were other core founding members such as Giacomo Battaglia. As members of the LGBTQ+ community, the founding men of DPhi were hesitant to attend USD. Aragon had initial nerves about attending a Catholic university. “My fear in going to a Catholic university was that I would have

The founding members of DPhi aspire to create a space in Greek life for queer men at USD.

Photo courtesy of Jacob Aragon

Rap artist Takeoff dies at 28 Students discuss his legacy and unexpected death JESSICA MILLS ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Kirshnik Khari Ball, also known as Takeoff, of the Atlanta rap trio Migos was fatally shot on Nov. 1 in Houston, Texas, at a bowling alley. According to the Houston Police Department, Takeoff was one of three individuals who were shot after a private party ended in an argument. Police are still searching for the shooter, and no arrests have been made currently. Since releasing their first single “Versace” in 2013, the trio has been a staple for many fans of the rap genre. Takeoff was an instrumental part of Migos’ musical flow — specifically known

for his syncopation, which occurs when a variety of beats are played together to create an off-beat tune. After nearly 10 years of stardom, Migos collaborated with artists such as Drake, Cardi B, Pop Smoke, Nicki Minaj and many more. They’ve released 14 albums, 44 singles and garnered over 18 million monthly Spotify listeners. At only 28 years old, many were shocked when hearing the news of Takeoff’s sudden death. Among those surprised was USD senior Hailey Hirmez. “I was very shocked,” Hirmez said. “I actually saw it on TikTok first and didn’t know if it was a rumor, because it just came out of nowhere.” With songs like “Bad and

Boujee,” “Fight Night,” “Walk It Talk It” and more, many listeners were captivated by the group’s fast-paced lyrics and party-esque beats. USD senior Paulina Smale is a fan of various Migos songs. “I used to listen to the Migos in high school. My favorite song was ‘Stir Fry,’” Smale said.

Affirmative action See News, page 3

Big Pharma prices See Opinion, page 4

Fav. Thanksgiving dishes

‘Wakanda’ & ‘Disenchanted’ See A&C, page 10

See Takeoff, Page 9

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