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Volume 61 Issue 20
Thursday, April 25, 2024
THE USD VISTA VISTA
The Official Student Newspaper of the University of San Diego since 1968
Science students say a ‘BA’ is really ‘BS’
Chem and biochem adding ‘Bachelor of Science’ pathway RITI DEY ASST. NEWS EDITOR Some science majors are anxious about the marketable value of their degree, as they prepare for their future careers. Though USD encourages a liberal arts curriculum to enable students to develop a multifaceted perspective on life, many students and faculty within the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) are questioning the practicality of “Bachelor of Arts” (BA) degrees for natural sciences majors, such as biology, chemistry and physics, as opposed to “Bachelor of Sciences” (BS) degrees. Currently, CAS only provides the option for students to participate in either a BS pathway or a BA pathway in physics, biophysics and environmental and ocean sciences. Beginning next fall, chemistry and biochemistry majors will be given the option of a Bachelor of Science pathway. However, the faculty in the biology and behavioral neuroscience majors have not yet provided proposals to get the ball rolling for a BS
USD students in the natural sciences take a science-heavy course load, yet many majors graduate with a Bachelors of Arts. Photo courtesy of @usdcas/Instagram
‘All’s fair in love and poetry’
Taylor Swift releases album ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ ANJALI DALAL-WHELAN NEWS EDITOR In 2023 Taylor Swift’s name became impossible to avoid. Last year the artist re-recorded two albums, was named Time’s “Person of the Year,” embarked on a world tour and made countless headlines. Swift continued to take the media by storm in 2024 by announcing a new album at the Grammy’s in February. On April 19, Swift released her 11th studio album “The Tortured Poets Department.” The album dropped at midnight Eastern Time, with many fans waiting expectantly for the 16 new tracks to be released. However, fans were surprised with a “2 a.m. surprise” (or 11 p.m. for USD fans) when Swift announced that “The Tortured Poets Department” was a secret double album that contained an additional 15 tracks. USD sophomore Lily Slakeoff was shocked by the surprise 2 a.m. drop. “I was with my littles when we heard it was a double album, and we just screamed,”
in either of those disciplines. Associate Dean Kristin Moran of CAS elaborated on the emerging pathways that will allow some students to choose between earning a BS or BA. “This was a conversation that was primarily led by physics and environmental and ocean sciences, because there was some feeling that the courses that students were taking were lab heavy, so they aligned with a Bachelor of Science degree in a way that matched other peer institutions,” Moran said. Moran expanded on how the two pathways came to be. “The CAS did not have the BS option until a few years ago, and so we had to vote as faculty to create the BS option, and then once we voted to create the BS option, faculty had to create the curriculum to go along with that, so that took a minute. And then finally we were able to implement the BS and BA options for students.” The concern about credentials for many faculty lies in the idea that a BA potentially hinders future career prospects, due to
See BA/BS, Page 3
INSIDE Tuition increase See News, page 2
STI stigma
See Opinion, page 4
Cafe corners See Feature, page 6
‘Monkey Man’ movie Taylor Swift surprised fans by releasing an additional 15 tracks, two hours after her album was released. Photo courtesy of @taylorswift/Instagram
Slakeoff said. “I didn’t expect it.” The full double album is named “The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology.” It consists of 31 songs and runs over two hours long. The album was produced by Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff who
both share songwriting credits with Swift on multiple tracks. Swift and Antonoff have worked together since Swift’s fifth album “1989.” Unsurprisingly, many songs on “The Tortured Poets Department” are sonically similar to those Swift and Antonoff have
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previously worked on together. USD sophomore Maya Merchant shared her views on Swift and Antonoff’s partnership. “One thing I’ve heard a lot of people talk about is that
See TTPD, Page 10
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See A&C, page 11
WNBA draft day See Sports, page 12