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Volume 64 Issue 5
Thursday, October 15, 2026
THE USD VISTA VISTA
The Official Student Newspaper of the University of San Diego since 1968
Concerns over Linda Vista Road
Students and community members call for safer crossings near USD KENDALL EMTMAN NEWS WRITER For those who live along the nearly half a mile stretch of Linda Vista Road that runs parallel to campus, crossing the street has become a trade-off between convenience and safety. Many students who live on Goshen Street and in other nearby neighborhoods cross the busy street to reach the stairs behind the ShileyMarcos School of Engineering building, which provides a practical alternative to the crosswalk 700 feet further down. “I think we can all understand that it’s not the safest option, but it is the most convenient for a lot of us in this neighborhood, so it’s a risk we’re often willing to take,” said senior Sophia Raia. USD senior Eddie Gomez also crosses Linda Vista Road daily to get to classes and believes that the road presents safety concerns for pedestrians. Gomez thinks that the placement of additional traffic controls would make crossing safer. “There’s constant traffic on Linda Vista, which doesn’t leave many opportunities for students to safely cross to the campus stairs,” Gomez wrote. “I think a stop sign with a crosswalk or another traffic light would make that crossing much safer.” Jonas Bimshas, a USD
Students jaywalk on Linda Vista Road after walking down the stairs behind Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering.
alumnus and vice chair of the Linda Vista planning group, explained that the area near the stairs is a natural crossing point for students, despite the lack of a designated crosswalk. Bimshas and the planning group are currently working to add a safer alternative here, implementing a solution the city found in its 2016 Comprehensive Active Transportation Strategy. “The biggest thing is that this is where people cross,” Bimshas said. “They don’t cross
much further down or much further up unless they are going to either the [already] existing main entrance crosswalk, which does see most of the traffic.” Concerns about pedestrian safety on Linda Vista road extend beyond the area near the campus stairs. At the crosswalk between the Pacific Ridge Apartment Complex and the university’s main entrance, students say dangerous drivers create safety concerns even with pedestrian safety measures in place.
On Oct. 5, Pacific Ridge management sent residents an email, warning them about speeding and traffic violations on Linda Vista Road. For junior Georgia Holmes, who crosses the street every day to attend classes, these concerns are more than a simple warning, they are a part of her everyday experience. “I have absolutely felt unsafe crossing that crosswalk,” Holmes said. “I feel like it’s almost every other day that I
Emma O’Connell/The USD Vista
see a car that ran the red light or was too late on the yellow. It’s too close to when people start crossing the crosswalk.” Holmes’ concerns about safety extend beyond the dangers of the crosswalk. “It’s an easy road to drive down fast,” Holmes said. “I understand why people do it too, because there are so many lanes. But there are so many people who are walking on that crosswalk all at once, I just feel like there needs
See Street Safety, Page 2
Community members address sexual violence reporting and prevention SOPHIE HUMMEL NEWS EDITOR
Protests ensue at Cornell University for the mishandeling of Jane Doe’s case. Photo courtesy of @riseabovejusticemovement/Instagram
INSIDE
Content warning: This story includes information and language pertaining to sexual violence. On Sept. 18, Cornell University’s student newspaper, “The Daily Sun,” published an article that has now garnered national attention. “The Daily Sun” reported on a lawsuit, filed two days earlier, accusing seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity of sexual assault and battery in 2024. The plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, says the assault lasted about seven hours at the fraternity house. The ensuing media coverage
has raised questions about how law enforcement and university officials responded to the incident, while simultaneously launching a national conversation about the prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses. On Sept. 28, commentator Michael Tracey posted on X encouraging the public to identify and expose Doe. “Let’s see if anyone has the ‘balls’ to name this Jane Doe so we can all evaluate her veracity …” Tracey wrote. In response, thousands of social media users posted #IAmJaneDoe. In this attempt to protect Cornell’s Doe, many people have noted that they
are, in fact, also a Jane Doe. The University of San Diego is not exempt. In the past six weeks, there have been two reports of rape on USD’s campus, according to the univeristy Daily Crime and Fire Log. However, this number is likely an undercount; nearly 80% of sexual assaults and rapes go unreported, according to a 2016 analysis of violent crime from the U.S. Department of Justice. “I get notifications about scooters being stolen, but I’ve never gotten an email about [a reported rape] on campus,” USD senior Carol Reffet said. “That should be included.” The federal law known as
See Prevention, Page 3
Heat wave
“Digger” flop
Students’ favorite media
Grammarly
Mental health in sports
See News, Page 2
See A&C, Page 4
See Spread, Page 6-7
See Opinion, Page 9
See Sports, Page 11
Don’t miss the latest news. Find us online:
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The USD Vista
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October 15, 2026
NEWS
Students face high temperatures on campus An early-October heat wave hits San Diego
ALISSA BIALAS NEWS WRITER PRATINYA BODANAPU OPINION EDITOR The National Weather Service issued an extreme heat warning for the San Diego area, beginning Friday, Oct. 2 and lasting through Thursday, Oct. 8. The temperature affected San Diego coastal areas, including USD’s campus, with highs reaching 105 degrees. Many students at USD were impacted by the heat wave, including those living in on-campus housing. While many buildings on campus are air-conditioned, student housing is not, resulting in high temperatures in dorms. One student got a doctor’s note so the university would allow an air conditioning (AC) unit in her dorm. “Getting the accommodation meant getting a doctor’s note,” USD sophomore Abigail Hill said. “Once I had that, everyone was accommodating.” Rather than just placing the unit in her bedroom, Hill put the air conditioner in the shared living room of her suite in San Rafael Hall. The space not only became a safe haven from the heat for her and her roommates, but also for the other students living in rooms nearby. The students with no air conditioning took refuge in Hill’s living room to escape the heat. Karla Hajjar, a USD first-year living in Valley A, described what her past week has looked like.
Pedestrian safety
From Street Safety, Page 1
to be something, an incentive, for people to drive slowly.” Linda Vista Road has a set speed limit of 40 mph and according to a 2016 transportation impact analysis sees approximately 17,000 cars between Alcala Parkway and Via Las Cumbres each day. Bimshas said that because the stretch of Linda Vista Road next to campus was constructed without turns or many traffic signals, the road makes unsafe driving easier. “One of the key things in pedestrian safety and slowing is that there is something to actually keep the driver focused,” Bimshas said. “Right now Linda Vista Road does not really have a whole lot of that, especially this one section that is right after the main campus entrance … There’s nothing to deter people from going as fast as they can.” In one extreme example, a student was struck and killed on the road this summer. Following the tragedy, senior Amelia Lea
High temperatures impacted students on campus last week.
“We
Tommy Doyle/The USD Vista
awful and unacceptable that we’re paying close to $100,000 a year and we don’t have AC, but we have a heater.” University of California San Diego Professor Shang-Ping Xie explained El Niño’s effects. “At the global scale, the ocean warming that occurs during an El Niño year is enough to drive average global temperatures higher by heating the atmosphere around the equator,” Xie wrote in a report from The Scripps Institution of Oceanography. “Layering El Niño on top of warming due to humancaused climate change could push global temperatures to new highs.” While El Niño affects the temperature changes, the effects of global warming also weigh in, which is a contributing factor to the extreme heat wave in October, according to the Scripps report. The City of San Diego addressed both the heat wave and how they are combatting it. “Climate change will mean more hot days each year and the hottest days will get hotter and more frequent,” the City of San Diego wrote on their website. “During periods of extreme heat, the City activates certain recreation centers, libraries and other public buildings as places for San Diegans to stay cool.” The temperatures have now dropped down a few degrees, but the implications of extreme heat in October remain alarming for some. Students should keep blinds closed during the hottest part of the day, take advantage of using fans, stay hydrated and find cool zones on campus in order to combat the heat.
“In the daytime, no one is ever in the dorm, because it gets really hot and humid up there,” Hajjar said. “We should be able to have air conditioning, or at the very least, other accommodations to help us with the heat. It’s not fair to expect us to be outside of the dorm 24/7 when that’s supposed to be our place.” Other students left their dorms to find solace in shade outside or in air-conditioned buildings on campus such as the library or Learning Commons. While Hajjar escaped the dorms during the day, returning for bedtime was unavoidable. “It’s definitely been harder to get a good night’s rest because it’s just so uncomfortable all the time,” Hajjar commented. “We pay so much to be able
to live on campus, there should be some sort of AC.” USD’s Residential Life sent out multiple emails addressing the heat wave and how to stay safe during it, including a statement about the ban on AC units. “Please be aware that AC units are not permitted in residential rooms or units,” a Residential Life representative wrote. “This includes portable, window-mounted, or other personal AC units that have not been specifically approved by Residential Life. Unapproved units may create electrical, safety, and facilities concerns and may need to be removed.” The university did offer solutions to the increased temperature, specifically their use of Cool Zones.
understand that the warmer temperatures can make residential spaces uncomfortable,” the Residential Life representative said. “Students are encouraged to utilize designated Cool Zones on campus air-conditioned spaces where you can take a break from the heat, study, relax, and cool down.” For many students, Cool Zones are not enough of a solution for the unbearable heat in their dorms. Adrianna Pollard, a USD sophomore without an air conditioning unit, expressed her frustration with the situation. “I have lived in Southern California for my entire life and this is the hottest I have been for an extended period of time,” Pollard said. “It’s
started a petition calling for the installation of crosswalks and lighting on Linda Vista Road. In an email to The USD Vista, Lea said that she was affected by the student’s death. “I didn’t personally know [the student], but his passing still affected me,” Lea wrote. “Linda Vista Road is a street I’ve used regularly to get to class, go to the gym, or walk to nearby stores. I used to walk up and down Linda Vista Road every week, but I’ve reached a point where I’m uncomfortable enough that I’m starting to avoid it and look for alternative routes. I’ve seen how unpredictable traffic can be and how often pedestrians seem forced to take risks just to get across.” The city’s 2016 Linda Vista Comprehensive Active Transportation Strategy found that 25 of the 50 pedestrian collisions documented in the Linda Vista community between 2008 and 2013 occurred along Linda Vista Road. Following this assessment, the city identified a High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk (HAWK) as a potential solution to improve pedestrian safety. However,
nearly a decade later, the crossing is yet to be implemented. Lea explained that she is frustrated that little progress has been made as this is an ongoing issue and hopes a change will soon be made. “My biggest concern is that someone else could be seriously injured or lose their life before meaningful safety improvements are made,” Lea wrote. “Knowing that these concerns have been documented for years makes it especially frustrating that we are still having this conversation.” In July 2026, Bimshas and the planning group renewed calls for the city to install the signal through its annual Infrastructure Planning Survey. Their proposal calls for a HAWK signal to be placed between Goshen and Brunner Street, right across from the campus staircase. Reviving the recommendation made by the city over a decade ago, the crossing would allow pedestrians to activate a light signal, effectively stopping traffic while they cross. Nearly a decade after the city first recommended a HAWK signal, students still cross Linda Vista Road without one.
Hundreds of students cross Linda Vista Road each day. Shea Moggio/The USD Vista
Volume 64 Issue 5 •
Sexual violence prevention
From Prevention, Page 1
Title IX aims to protect college students from sexual violence, harassment and discrimination. Title IX applies to all colleges and universities that receive federal funding, which includes USD. USD’s Title IX website outlines resources for survivors, including confidential and anonymous reporting options, how to file a report and an overview of the reporting process. To start the Title IX reporting process at USD, go to the Title IX website’s reporting page and click “How to file a report.” The page includes a link to an internal complaint form, which can be filled out and emailed to titleix@sandiego.edu. The website notes that community members may file a report at any time, regardless of how
NEWS
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The USD Vista
NEWS
long it’s been since the incident. The university is required under federal law to annually administer training on sexual misconduct and relationship violence to all students and employees. Each academic year, the university administers “Sexual Assault Prevention for Undergraduates” training to all incoming and returning undergraduate students. The training is assigned online and includes videos and quizzes. If a student fails to complete the modules on time, they are fined $250. USD junior K.J. Chatham said he chose to pay the fine rather than complete the training. “One, I didn’t want to,” Chatham said. “Two, I also know rape is wrong, and I feel like it’s kind of common sense to not do things to people that you wouldn’t want to be done to yourself.” Another student said the training has value but that the online format falls short. “For how important of an issue it is … alongside the online
training, there should be an in-person session to make sure that everyone’s getting adequate information,” said USD sophomore Annabel Vickery. Some USD students say they wouldn’t know where to turn if they needed Title IX support. “I don’t know anything about USD’s Title IX office … If something did happen to me, I would literally have no idea what to do,” said USD senior Rhianna Carvin. Carvin said she was also disappointed by the university’s response to the Cornell case. “President Harris or someone from the university should have sent an email to the student body acknowledging what happened and outlining Title IX here and what that would look like if you needed that resource,” Carvin said. USD has not released an official statement about the reported incident at Cornell. Anthropology Professor Marni LaFleur believes people shouldn’t look to the university for change.
“It’s not just USD,” LaFleur said. “Society has failed women so fundamentally for so long that we can’t rely on these systems anymore. We can’t expect that the system is going to change… We have to hold people accountable, but we need to do something really different.”
Where to find support For confidential care, Campus Assault Resources and Education (CARE) Advocates — USD staff who have completed extensive training on supporting survivors — can answer questions, facilitate referrals to resources and accompany students to Public Safety or to an interview with law enforcement. CARE Advocates are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and can be reached at 619-260-4655. Psychologists at the Counseling Center provide confidential emotional support. For immediate concerns, students can be seen on a walk-in basis. To schedule an
appointment, call 619-2604655 or visit the center (Serra Hall 300) during walk-in hours. Walk-in hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on other weekdays. Medical exams are available at the Student Health Center (Maher Hall 140). Employees of the Student Health Center are mandated reporters, meaning they are required by law to report sexual violence to authorities. Sharing details about an assault can help investigators hold perpetrators responsible. That said, students may receive care without divulging information that would prompt a report. Exams can include, but are not limited to, treatment for injuries and various lab tests for sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy. A check-up does not require a police report or evidence collection. To schedule an appointment, call 619-260-4595 or visit your student wellness portal. For more support and information on the resources above, visit https://www. sandiego.edu/care/get-help.php
EDITOR’S NOTE: If you have a story to share, contact the author of this article: News Editor Sophie Hummel at shummel@sandiego.edu
Election Day approaches Registration is now open for California’s upcoming election MAE O’MALLEY NEWS WRITER Starting Oct. 5, California voters began receiving their ballots in the mail. The large rectangular envelopes in each registered voter’s mailbox mark the introduction to the midterm election season. Some voters are eager to receive their ballots; others are surprised to find they are registered to vote, including students near and far from home. The 2026 California gubernatorial election will choose a new governor, as no incumbent is running. Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton are on the ballot this November. The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) reported that, as of May 2026, 85% of California’s eligible adults are registered to vote. This data came in just before the June primaries. Of that population, Californians ages 18 to 34 made up almost a third of the adult population and just 21% of likely voters. The institute describes a likely balloter as someone registered to vote that has been previously politically engaged and is expected to participate in local or national elections. The California secretary of state recommends any ballots sent on Election Day should be manually postmarked by a U.S. Postal Service employee. Nearly 150,000 ballots of the 23 million issued were rejected in the June primaries. More than 90,000 ballots were rejected because they were received late.
California has used mailin ballots for over a decade. There have been few issues in the past; however, there is a chance of ballots being rejected from the count and this chance has increased over the past few years. In the 2025 special election, younger voters were more likely to have their mailin ballots rejected, typically as a result of being marked late. The rejection rates were low, but still higher than those in other age groups. Voters ages 18 to 24 had a rejection rate of 3.1% and voters ages 25 to 34 made up 2.8% of denied ballots, according to the PPIC. Voters over 65 were less than 0.5%, conversely. Also in May 2026, a survey from The Institute of Governmental Studies at Berkeley found that 47% of voters ages 18 to 29 choose not to vote because they believe they are not well-informed enough to be making a decision. Another 31% of voters surveyed said they were too busy to vote. By polling voters and making voter registration information public, the integrity and security of elections is ensured for the public. USD senior Davia Rode found herself making time to vote closer to the election. “I’ve voted before and I care about voting, but I usually wait until big elections to really start researching candidates,” Rode said. “I think I get a lot of information through people around me and things I interact with, but I have to seek out more information if I
want a more trustworthy opinion; sometimes word of mouth doesn’t do justice to certain candidates.” Historically, youth voting turnout has been low. In the 2024 presidential election, only 42.5% of eligible voters ages 18 to 24 participated in the polls compared to 62% of all eligible voters in California, according to The Berkeley IGS. USD sophomore Kaili Murphy finds online websites useful when researching her ballot. “I researched mostly on my own and I use Ballotpedia to go through all of the candidates,” Murphy said. “For the primaries, I was home and went inperson to vote for that. Me, my brother and my grandma spent two days researching all 60 candidates for governor.” Websites such as CalMatters. org and Vote.gov also provide resources on candidates’ platforms to aid voters in making an educated decision. For the California state elections, the secretary of state compiled information on ballots, voting and candidates at vote.ca.gov. Becerra expanded his outreach to young voters and is endorsed by 15 youth activist groups, including California Young Democrats and California College Democrats, according to his campaign website. No specific young activist groups have endorsed Hilton, though politicians such as President Donald Trump and Vivek Ramaswamy, a former presidential candidate, vouched their support for the Republican.
Midterm elections are Nov. 3.
Despite attempts to reach young voters, some students do not have interest in the midterms. USD sophomore Will Holpuch prefers to vote only in major elections. “I pick the name I like the most,” Holpuch said. “I care for the big elections, but the little ones — there’s nothing good. If I wasn’t going to be home for this election I wouldn’t request an absentee ballot or anything.” Some students find it important to vote, regardless of the scale of the election. USD senior Lexie Langberg exercises her right to vote frequently. “The act of voting is important to me regardless of how well-informed I am on
Tommy Doyle/ The USD Vista
every candidate,” Langberg said. “As a young person I think that my vote is especially important. I vote at home in Nevada, which is especially important since it’s a purple state.” The last day to register to vote in California is Oct. 19, and ballots will be mailed starting on Oct. 5. For Voter’s Choice Act counties, early voting begins on Oct. 24. This includes the San Diego, Orange, Riverside, Imperial and Los Angeles counties. On Oct. 31, early voting will open in all California counties. Polls will be open on Election Day, Nov. 3, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and ballots must be mailed by 8 p.m. on this day.
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The USD Vista
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October 15, 2026
ARTS & CULTURE ‘Digging’ into Hollywood’s future
Toreros react to ‘Digger’ and the film’s far-reaching consequences ANNIE BARTOLOME ARTS & CULTURE WRITER The opening weekend of the film “Digger” proved to be a milestone in Tom Cruise’s acting career. The achievement, that is, Cruise earning the lowestgrossing opening weekend in the last two decades of his career. Besides earning Cruise an alltime low, “Digger” also served as the last film that Warner Brothers Studios produced as a standalone studio prior to the merger with Paramount Studios. Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s film is a satirical dark comedy that stars Cruise in the titular role of Digger Rockwell, a selfish oil tycoon whose relentless drilling causes an environmental emergency. A bumbling U.S. president with his band of silly cabinet members also provide comedic elements throughout the film, all before a twist is revealed half an hour into the movie’s run time. Despite a lukewarm reception at the box office, there are a number of individuals who appreciate the film and its
message. Iñárritu’s success as a director in notable films such as “The Revenant” and “Birdman” as well as Cruise’s notoriety as an actor, did not translate to the film’s commercial success, as box office sales were strikingly low. ABC reported on the film’s humble opening statistics. “All eyes were on how ‘Digger,’ one of the year’s biggest gambles, would perform,” ABC reported in a press release. “Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s critically panned satire grossed a paltry $8 million domestically. Cruise is typically a big draw overseas, but international sales, $12 million from 74 markets, were also weak. It’s a painfully rough start for a movie that cost at least $125 million to make.” USD senior and theater frequenter Ernie Soto shared his thoughts on “Digger” and its reception. “Failure at the box office doesn’t mean failure in artistic success,” Soto affirmed. “The difference between artistic success and commercial performance is the impact
that it has had on people. The artistic success of the movie is clear through its audience approval. I think that the film does a great job at mixing an important message [of relevant issues] with great performance and substance.” The film’s status as the last project produced by a solo Warner Bros. Studios before its merger with Paramount Studios carries weight in the film industry. “Digger” is quite a contrast from the blockbuster hits that Warner Bros. cranked out last year. “Sinners,” “Weapons” and “One Battle After Another” all received critical acclaim and made quite a splash at last year’s Oscars. “Digger” seems to be the most recent delivery in the line of disappointing Warner Bros. projects of the year such as “Supergirl” and “The Bride.” This begs the question of post-merger activity, specifically what kind of projects will be favored and placed into production. Just last week, Skydance Corporation, which has
acquired Paramount Studios and now Warner Bros., announced that the $110.9 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. was completed. David Ellison, current CEO of Skydance, sits at the head of this new company that encompasses a multitude of intellectual property. Ellison’s pursuit of tying together the two studios under his own corporation was a three-year long campaign. He pursued this dream relentlessly, despite taking on the massive debt of the two independent studios and the inevitable layoffs. The new merger places Hollywood hit franchises such as “Harry Potter” and “Lord of the Rings” under one company. “With the merger, CBS and CNN are now one and the same corporate entity,” Art History and Film Professor Michael Witte outlined. “For film, by the same logic, two studios and a few streaming platforms will converge, which means theoretically fewer outlets for film production, distribution and exhibition will exist. [This]
yield[s] even greater control to those in few ownership. The Ellisons and Bezoeses of the world are determining what kind of media gets consumed by the average American media consumer and when.” With disappointing reviews and attendance for creative films such as “The Bride” and “Digger,” it is natural for many moviegoers to worry if these types of films will be overlooked in favor of guaranteed blockbuster hits. Witte offered several words of comfort to ease these worries. “It’s a great loss for us domestically if we’re not cultivating art at the level of the rest of the world, but until our priorities change, this will be a problem,” Witte commented. American consumers wait with bated breath to see how this new merger will affect cinephiles. While they wait, many can find satisfaction in knowing Hollywood is not the only entity in the film universe, and can explore the many films that international cinema has to offer.
2026 Gubernatorial General Election Every active registered voter in San Diego County will receive a ballot in the mail the week of Oct. 5.
VOTE TODAY THROUGH NOV. 3 YOUR VOTING OPTIONS: Sign and date your return envelope, seal your completed ballot inside, and return it in the mail – no stamp needed!
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Return your ballot to any of the Registrar’s official ballot drop boxes around the county starting Tuesday, Oct. 6, through Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3. Avoid long lines by taking advantage of early voting! Vote early starting Saturday, Oct. 24. Vote centers around the county will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Monday, Nov. 2. On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, voting hours change to 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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Find a ballot drop box or vote center near you at sdvote.com.
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“Digger” flops at theaters.
Art by Kyra Lefebvre
BUMISI
Volume 64 Issue 5 •
ARTS & CULTURE
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The USD Vista
Academics across disciplines win Nobel Prizes
5
USD students and faculty react to achievements of Nobel laureates
an experiment designed to detect the behaviors of ghostly neutrino particles. The mile-deep block of The Nobel Prize is a coveted naturally occurring ice had light award for any field professional, sensors referred to as “optical recognizing advancements in modules” incorporated, allowing areas ranging from physics to researchers to detect rare neutrino literature. Earning one requires collisions by the emitted light. years of research, innovation Chad Kishimoto, a professor and an unmatched passion for of physics and biophysics learning. The winners of the 2026 at USD, spoke to the extent Nobel Prizes, announced Oct. 5 to of research and effort that Oct. 12, displayed passion through went into this experiment. the great achievements they “It’s really, truly amazing made in their respective fields. the size and scale of the people,” The prize for physiology Kishimoto said. “The human or medicine, the first to be power, the human ingenuity that announced on Oct. 5, was came to create this experiment awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter that is measuring things both Hegemann and Georg Nagel. far and near. It really gives Their discovery concerning us a new and different view optogenetics — a technique used on the universe as a whole.” to manipulate neural activity with Halzen’s creation of IceCube light — was groundbreaking for is sure to widen the view of the neuroscience, making it possible universe immensely, a significant 10/12/26, 9:08 PM to observe precise nerve cell step forward in the field of physics. functions in the brain with a For the prize in chemistry, protein called channelrhodopsin. colleagues Henri B. Kagan and This protein, discovered by Kenso Soai were awarded for Hegemann and Nagel, originates their discoveries in chemical from a single-celled alga that asymmetry. Homochirality — emits an electrical impulse the “right-handed” and “leftwhen illuminated by blue light. handed” concept of molecules Following the discovery, dictating which mirror image Deisseroth triggered nerve is capable of what chemical signals in rats using light after function — has been discussed genetically introducing the for decades. In pharmaceuticals, protein. This innovation has one mirror image of the molecule allowed optogenetic researchers holds more significance, and to map where certain feelings in the past, chemists were and behaviors occur in the only capable of replicating a brain, fundamentally changing 50/50 split of said molecule. the field of neuroscience. By combining their research, Francis Halzen, a particle Kagan and Soai discovered physicist, secured a rare solo win possibilities beyond this tedious of the Nobel Prize in physics. In process of duplication. Now the thick ice of the South Pole, able to replicate a greater Halzen and his team built the excess of one mirror image, 7 IceCube Neutrino Observatory, pharmaceutical development
has been made more efficient and the study of homochirality is more advanced than ever before. Following the announcements of the sciences, the Nobel Prize in literature was awarded to esteemed poet Anne Carson. Known for her inventive style blending poetry, essays and NATIONAL prose, Carson’s work captivates 10/12/26, 9:08 PM the masses. Her knowledge of working in classics and translation has given her a unique approach to literature, blending both ancient and modern work together. 1 USD English professor and poet, Malachi Black, who has a doctorate in literature, shared his enthusiasm for the laureate’s work. “Carson succeeds in bridging millennia and bringing the historical into the present in a way that is utterly unprecedented,” Black said. “It’s so new in her rendering, whether it’s her NATIONAL own PARKS - Crossword Labs specific creative contribution, or Poet Anne Carson won the 2026 Nobel Prize in literature. 5 Photo courtesy of @nobelprize/Instagram her revisioning of the historical, and she makes what is old resulted in backlash from of a more effective Keynesian utterly and entirely brand new.” President Donald Trump, who model — a formula to predict On Oct. 9, the renowned claimed that his administration and stabilize the upturns and 1 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded deserved more significant downturns of the economy. As to Judge Navanethem Pillay. Her consideration for the prize opposed to older 6Keynesian inspiring work in international given his foreign policy efforts. models used in the 1970s, Hall law has advocated for justice on a USD first-year7 Elise Thackara and Woodford’s strategy focuses 2 3 global scale, holding leaders and shared her reaction to Pillay’s win. on microeconomic foundations. institutions accountable for their “I think it’s inspirational to This proved more effective actions. Currently serving as a see a hardworking woman and than past macroeconomic judge on the International Court a person of4 color fighting so models, emphasizing individual of Justice, Pillay has battled hard for peace in this world,” households and businesses that against genocide and wrongful Thackara said. “It’s very are forward looking. Theirs 9 human treatment since5 1967, empowering as a young woman was a discovery that changed 10 respond when she first started her career who wants to do good and the world’s ability to in anti-apartheid legal defense. change this world for the better.” to economic shocks and crises. Her efforts have provided hope The final award, the prize This year’s Nobel Prize for many victims of conflict, in economic sciences, was announcements revealed to and this award proves her value announced Oct. 12. Winners the world great innovators of as a defender of 6world peace. Robert E. Hall and Michael many fields, each discovery Despite her many Woodford earned this honor and accomplishment a step supporters, this outcome through their implementation toward 11greater learning.
NORA FENDLEY NEWS WRITER
6, 9:08 PM
NATIONAL
NATIONAL PARKS
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NATIONAL PARKS - Crossword Labs
This week’s crossword
NATIONAL PARKS
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SHY BROWN GAMES EDITOR
1
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2
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Answers 5
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1. nat
7. An ultra-clear lake in Oregon, formed from a volcano
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10. A wetland park famous for its many slowmoving rivers of grass and intense wildlife
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5. The largest canyon in the world, created by the Colorado River
1. An active volcano located in Hawaii's only national park https://crosswordlabs.com/view/pop-culture-509
8 7. An ultra-clear lake in Oregon, formed from a volcano
2. The southernmost national park in the United States, famous for its shallow waters and coral reefs
10. A wetland park famous for its many slow9 moving rivers of grass and intense wildlife 10
11. Underground cave system in Kentucky containing the world's longest known cave network
3. The first national park established in the United States 4. Famous feature in Yellowstone known for its vibrant colors 6. A majestic mountain peak in Washington
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THE MEDIA THAT MOVES TOREROS In an age of constant access to social media, literature and stimulation, students have a wide variety to choose from for their favorite and most used forms of media. These Toreros have chosen many engaging outlets that give a glimpse into their personalities and preferences. Photo courtesy of @jackjohnson/Instagram
Photo courtesy of @pumprulesbravo/Instagram
“I like music because you can listen to it with other people and it can connect you and help you make friends.” Kyla McCarthy Smith, first-year
“I think my favorite type of media is probably TV shows because there’s so many different types of genres out there and they can be educational while also having fun with it.” Sofia Temblador, senior
Photo courtesy of @jieunreads/Instagram
Photo courtesy of @johnsummit/Instagram
“Right now I’m reading Haruki Murakami’s ‘The Wind Up Bird Chronicle.’ It's crazy. It’s a surrealist novel about this man in Japan who loses his cat and then he loses his wife and he goes through this crazy dream world to try to find them.” Sadie Chapin, sophomore
”Right now specifically, besides house music, I always like classic rock. That’s my favorite just because my parents always played that growing up so it’s a good basic to resort back to.” Hanna Hafner, senior
“[I use mostly] books and Spotify because I like listening to music and I enjoy reading books and reading manga.” Joseph George, senior
Volume 64 Issue 5
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FEATURE
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The USD Vista
Art by Kyra Lefebvre/The USD Vista: Content by Audrey Lockett
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Go off (text)book. Build real-world skills at AWS Builder Center for experience that you won’t find on a syllabus.
Volume 64 Issue 5 •
OPINION
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The USD Vista
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OPINION To the Jane Does of USD, Your experience will not define the trajectory of your life. There is a you, five years down the line, who is a little bit stronger, incrementally more hopeful and much more sure of yourself. You don’t need to scrub your skin; it’s always been yours. The shame you feel doesn’t belong to you — I can assure you of that. Those are all sentiments I wish I’d heard once upon a time, even if there’s a good chance I would’ve shaken my head in disbelief. Nevertheless, I now know them to be true. On Sept.16, a former Cornell student filed a lawsuit against the university and its now permanently closed fraternity, Chi Phi. The student, named in the lawsuit as Jane Doe, states she was sexually
assaulted and raped for seven hours at the fraternity house in October 2024. To the USD community: regardless of your gender, political views or experiences — Jane Doe needs you right now. Jane Doe sits next to you in class every day, plates your food in the SLP and assigns essays on Canvas. Sexual violence is pervasive, especially on college campuses. “In a 2018 paper on college party culture, law enforcement agencies documented one reported rape every 20 days for victims aged 17-24,” according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. These numbers should prompt urgency from every university. USD’s commitment appears on the Education and Outreach opportunities page on the USD Title IX website, which describes a previous campus-wide initiative.
“In Fall 2013, former University president Mary E. Lyons assembled a campuswide Steering Committee on Sexual Assault Prevention and Response, involving faculty, student and administrative representatives to review and propose enhancements to USD’s existing policies, procedures, educational programs, and services addressing the issue of sexual assault,” the website says. In 2026, over a decade later, thousands of students bhave come and gone, and it is unlikely any currently enrolled student was on campus when that committee was formed. The students, the culture and the challenges on campus have all changed since then, but the website points to a committee from another era as evidence of the university’s commitment to sexual violence prevention. It’s
time for us to come back to the table to ask what’s working, what isn’t and what students need now. As I write this, I feel overwhelmed by the scale of what needs to change. I’m not sure I can make a difference. I’m not confident we can rely on institutions to pursue justice. Leaders who want to do right by our community face dozens of barriers that stand between them and holding perpetrators accountable. There is so much I do not know and so much that terrifies me. But I do know this: the world is full of good people; people who care about each other and who want to be part of the change. Amid feeling helpless, I find comfort in knowing that millions of people out there feel what I do. You are not alone. As Cornell headlines slowly disappear from the top of news sites and pages, we must
continue the conversation on sexual violence. Speak up when you see something that is not okay. Rape culture feeds on your silence. Educate the people you surround yourself with on consent. Start the discussion on sexual violence at your next club meeting. Ask your resident assistant to post survivor resources on the board in your residence hall. Call the Campus Assault Resources and Education (C.A.R.E.) Advocate office for confidential support. CARE Advocates are on call 24/7 and can be reached at 619-260-4655. Systems at college campuses nationwide are plagued by patriarchal structures, designed to protect perpetrators of sexual violence. Use your voice. Tell your story. Those secrets were never yours to keep. — Jane Doe
EDITOR’S NOTE: This essay was an anonymous submission. If you have a story to share, contact The USD Vista team at vistaeditor@sandiego.edu
Delete Grammarly
Creative writing defends individuality BETTINA MOGELVANG OPINION EDITOR Grammarly, the widely installed writing assistant, posted on their company Instagram page last month a white screen reading, “finally said exactly what i meant. enormous personal victory.” The caption reads, “taking the W and going about my day.” Personally, I am a huge fan of the stylistic choices going on here. Intending a more colloquial tone, the all lowercase, the sentence fragments and slang usage achieves the casual texting context familiar to a young audience. Reading it, I feel like I am talking to someone, a person, with ease rather than pressure from formality. I can quite confidently say this was the authorial intent of these stylistic choices: this marketer wants you to feel they are a friend, not a politician, professor or parent. If you run these words through Grammarly, it suggests that its own Instagram post should read: “Finally said exactly what I meant—an enormous personal victory.” Despite the ever so slight change, it’s now harder to believe someone texted or spoke this in conversation, and even harder to ascertain that it achieved the colloquial flair the grammatically incorrect one had. Grammar is a funny thing. It imposes structure and rules upon language that
paradoxically gives us freedom in the intelligibility it provides, but, grammar and coherence are not synonymous. Grammar may have a problem with random capitalization or comma splices, but intelligibility doesn’t. Creative writing can reward these grammatical errors as choices. Authors are constantly breaking grammatical rules and norms. They will omit quotations from dialogue, use misspelled words, make run-on sentences, etc. These are choices that elementary teachers, Grammarly and Google’s phrasing suggestions will believe are accidental mistakes. A teacher gave us these rules, so one day, we could break them or rearrange how we communicate, and really say something; Artificial Intelligence (AI), on the other hand, filters out our creativity and true meaning by enforcing a specific writing style. When we ask ChatGPT to change our writing to sound more professional and smart, accept the email suggestions instead of forming our own and use AI to strictly follow grammar’s rules, we lose our writer’s voice. Meaning becomes homogenized. The way I choose to write my sentence will be completely different from the way you will. ChatGPT has one way. Efficiency from outsourced thinking — most severely — does not have a place in the utility of words. Writing
is both literally and figuratively a form of expression. Writing is thinking. For the cherished sake of freedom of thought, this cannot become standardized. “I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see and what it means,” author Joan Didion wrote. The word “essay” comes from the French word “essai,” which means “to try” or “an attempt.” Letting AI answer your emails, letting AI speak for you, means to give up. In one month of taking creative nonfiction and fiction writing, I have discovered so much about myself and how I interpret the world. Why I have been compelled by a specific concept for the past three semesters, and why, what I initially thought I was concerned with, wasn’t really the true object of my curiosity. This is meaningmaking with personhood at the very center. When I am writing a sentence, I am asking: “is this really what I mean?” In that process, you find out exactly what it is you are trying to say, and what you are not. It is not only a process that cultivates a writerly voice, it is becoming a person who understands their identity. Language is the reason we can communicate. Writing is the way we find and make meaning. I am so offended when I receive an email that is clearly outsourced from AI. A misspelling these days
Stop allowing technology to erase your creativity.
can even feel like a little life peeking through, a sign of the imperfect human behind it. Let creative writing be your defense against the homogenizing shackles AI enforces on our sentences — the homogenizing force on our meaning. The most rewarding feeling I have experienced recently has been when that little blue, jagged line appears under a section of my sentence. Before mindlessly accepting that suggestion, I reread it, read it again out loud and usually think: “Nope. That is, actually,
Art by Kyra Lefebvre
exactly how I want it to sound!” If I merely click “ignore,” the blue line will return eventually, so my favorite part: choosing the text box indicating “feedback options,” selecting “suggestion is wrong” and clicking the presumptuous imposition of standardization away. As a person who loves arranging words around, though it may sound silly, I knew this little blue line meant something to me. I wasn’t sure exactly what, but in writing this article, I have figured out how to “finally [say] exactly what i meant. enormous personal victory.”
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. 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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Volume 64 Issue 5
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SPORTS
The Eagle has landed
Taj Eagleston’s soccer journey with the Toreros ROCCO PASQUINI SPORTS WRITER
On Sept. 8, the University of San Diego men’s soccer team faced off against University California, Irvine (UCI). UCI’s Brady Treinen struck first with a goal in the ninth minute. It took the Toreros until the 52nd minute to equalize. Two minutes later, Taj Eagleston gave USD the lead with a half-volley rebound shot. The goal appeared on the Sept. 8 edition of SportsCenter’s Top 10 list of the week at the No. 3 spot. Taj Eagleston described what happened in the moment. “I don’t know what I was thinking, but my touch, I just decided to pop it up in the air,” Taj Eagleston said. “You know, usually you don’t really do that. You want to keep the ball on the ground, but I did it to try to create a different type of angle which is hard for the defenders to defend. So I popped it up and then I hit it like a side volley. And lucky enough, it went in.” The junior’s path to USD began in a familiar city, just 127 miles north in Los Angeles. Taj Eagleston engaged in community recreational soccer that was not the typical playing surface. “I played a lot of futsal, a lot of street soccer with a community called Venice Beach Football Club (VBFC) and a beach football club,” Taj Eagleston stated. “Then I joined and played just for some local clubs in the Manhattan Beach South Bay area.” Taj Eagleston also has a family member who was just as invested in soccer. Kevin Eagleston, Taj’s Eagleston’s father, played at the collegiate level during his time at Chico
State and Hawai’i Pacific. He also competed on a professional level at the Hawaii Tsunami and Football Club Avignon in France. Kevin Eagleston was an influence on Taj Eagleston’s soccer career. “I mean, growing up, we were always playing in the backyard,” Taj Eagleston said. “Everything was always soccer and he gave me a lot of insight and good information. He’s a big reason for where I’m at today for sure.” Kevin Eagleston continued his soccer involvement, coaching at Pepperdine University and California State Dominguez Hills while raising Taj Eagleston. He also opened up a futsal facility in Torrance called Soccer City where his son was engaged. “Taj was about four or five years old, and he was kind of like a mall rat, a kid that went in and his dad had to be in there from dawn till dusk,” Kevin Eagleston stated. “So he would come in and it was funny because he’d go play with anyone.” At 12 years old Taj Eagleston took his talents to the next level, playing for Galaxy Academy, a Major League Soccer (MLS) NEXT program. He played there until he was 17 where he won the U-17 MLS Cup Championship. A couple of years later Taj Eagleston joined the U-19 Strikers Football Club at 19 where he led the team to his second MLS NEXT Cup championship, scoring two of the goals in the finals and also winning the tournament MVP. “Just to get that accolade at the end — it was the cherry on top coming right before college,” Taj Eagleston said. “It’s like everything you’ve worked for growing up and it shows all the hard work you’ve done. It’s hard to put into words.”
Taj Eagleston committed to USD before the 2024 season. Being used to the Southern California weather, Taj Eagleston described what specifically drew him to USD. “What sparked my interest in USD was the lifestyle, of course,” Taj Eagleston shared. “I come from two hours up north in LA, it’s very similar to here, beach life, sun, a lot of outgoing people.” A knee injury delayed Taj Eagleston’s debut in 2024. He appeared in 11 games, starting in two and playing a total of 307 minutes. In 2025, his sophomore year improved when he became one of seven Toreros to appear in all 19 games, while making one start, logging 724 minutes. He also had five assists, which was a team high for the year. Taj Eagleston has improved his stats for 2026, becoming the team’s starting midfielder playing all 90 minutes in 11 games played. He has scored four goals and an assist including the only goal against No. 1 Washington in the Torero’s season opener on Aug. 8. Taj Eagleston reflected on his offseason preparation for this season. “I didn’t stop my training,” Taj Eagleston said. “I trained with LA FC’s 2nd team, which was a cool opportunity, which is like a pro team. I also was playing games at another summer league team, CAPO, which a lot of our guys played at. It was just to get game time, get minutes.” Lucca Adams, USD’s starting goalkeeper, has many shared experiences with Taj Eagleston. Adams played with Taj Eagleston at LA Galaxy MLS NEXT and transferred to USD from University of California, Los Angeles in 2025 to become
teammates once again. During the 2025 season, Adams became the West Coast Conference (WCC) goalkeeper of the year, helping the Toreros win the WCC. As good friends of Taj Eagleston, Adams reflected on what makes his teammate push himself. “Taj is a great human,” Adams said. “Off field, his desire to always be better and be a better person, allows him to become a better soccer player.” USD is currently 6-3-3 overall, fifth in the WCC with a 1-1-2 record in conference play. With five games left in the season, the Toreros still have work to do. Adams thought back on the past season and named what the Toreros need to do to improve. “I feel like we have gotten good results, but at the same time, we dropped points that we shouldn’t have been dropping,” Adams said. “These last couple games are going to be an important stretch because we need some guys to step up and some things need to go our way.” Taj Eagleston wants to continue their past seasons’ success. “Our team goal is to win the WCC to win our conference, which we’ve done the last four years,” Taj Eagleston said. “Our next goal as a team would be to make a run in the NCAA tournament. We’ve got to the Sweet 16. Now we want to go to the Round of Eight. Then we want to go to the Final Four. These are bigger goals that we have for our team, and let’s hope we start peaking at the right time.” Out of the five games left in the season, the men’s soccer team will play the Santa Clara Broncos and the Saint Mary Gaels at home as they push for another WCC title.
Taj Eagleston represents number eight as he celebrates a goal alongside his team. Photo courtesy of Taj Eagleston
This week in USD athletics ELLIE HARDMAN SPORTS WRITER
Torero fans fill the stadium before a game. Photo courtesy of @usdfootball/Instagram
As the school year ramps up, so has USD Athletics, with men’s and women’s tennis, women’s swim, women’s rowing, men’s and women’s cross country, women’s volleyball, football, men’s and women’s soccer and men’s golf all turning out several winning games. Many standout performances came from new first-year players, and many teams have away games coming up this weekend. Men’s tennis competed in matches Oct. 1 through Oct. 4, racking up wins against University of Arizona, Grand Canyon University (GCU) and others. First-year Nicolas Baena racked up wins in his matches on Oct. 2, beating GCU, Santa Clara University and University of California Berkeley in both singles and doubles with his partner, first-year Botond Nagy. On Oct. 3, women’s rowing competed in the Rowing Cares regatta on Mission Bay and won all three events in their season opener. The A and B eight teams won both first and second place with times of 13:36.914 and 13:59.307, respectively. Their next home event will take place Nov. 8 for the Fall Classic. Football had a win against Davidson College on Oct. 3, with a final score of 63-14. Despite the intense heat, senior quarterback Dom Nankil racked up four touchdown throws and defense had four interceptions for the Pioneer Football League home opener. This weekend brought a mix of results for USD teams. Women’s volleyball fell to Pepperdine University in straight sets on Oct. 10, while men’s soccer also dropped a high-scoring 5-4 loss to Portland later that evening. Women’s soccer bounced back with a 3-2 win over Denver on Oct. 11, powered by a hat trick from Maquena O’Callaghan, and football fell 41-10 on the road at Butler after entering the game off its 63-14 win over Davidson. With conference play continuing, several Torero teams now turn their attention to upcoming road competitions later this month.
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Toreros say balance matters
Athletics raises awareness for student-athlete mental health in October MADDY SPADA SPORTS WRITER
Success. Failure. Success. Triumph. Defeat. A large part of the student population at USD participates in athletics whether it’s Division I, club or intramural teams. In one form or another, these students are susceptible to mental health struggles. Juggling practice, away games, keeping up with lectures and taking time for oneself is no easy feat. The Cleveland Clinic, a nonprofit academic medical center, keeps track of mental health disorders among college athletes. Research from the Clinic’s website shows between 5% and 35% of elite athletes report a mental health disorder. Numbers are even higher among college athletes. “Athletes experience depression at the same rate as the rest of us,” the Clinic’s website wrote. “But the concern is that they’re often less likely to seek support to address the issue.” From Oct. 3 through Oct. 10, Torero Athletics and the Torero Edge, USD’s athlete development department, recognized Student Athlete Mental Health Week, as stated on their Instagram. Their mission is to remind athletes that they are seen and heard, emphasizing that mental wellness is a key part of one’s performance, recovery and growth as a human. The departments are partnering and standing in solidarity with Hilinski’s Hope through this week of awareness, an organization which was started after the
Players from various sports teams come together to raise awareness for student-athlete wellness. Emma O’Connell/The USD Vista
passing of Tyler Hilinski, a football player at Washington State University. Hilinski died by suicide on Jan. 16, 2018, and the foundation was started in his rememberance, to bring awareness to the struggles that athletes face. A University of Washington Medicine study found that suicides among college athletes have doubled in the last 20 years and is now the second most common cause of death among athletes. Over 250 colleges from across the nation have joined in on this week of awareness and advocacy in an attempt to break the stigma against athletes and mental health disorders. USD first-year Kennady
Smith was a gymnast for 10 years and commented on this week’s recognition of athlete mental health. “I experienced a lot of toxic environments and had some pretty bad anxiety,” Smith said. “I had really bad burnout, and was just very overwhelmed. Mental health week is super important to me because it gives people a moment to pause and recognize that you come first as a human, before you are an athlete.” As individuals increase their participation and commitment to athletics, especially toward a single sport, the line between success and self worth starts to become more and more blurred. This past May, student
athlete and then-senior Anna Vermeulen, a USD swimmer and mental health advocate, served as “president for a day,” where she focused her efforts on advocacy for more mental health resources for athletes on campus. Vermeulen herself was directly affected after losing a close friend and fellow athlete to suicide. While she was “president for a day,” Vermeulen discussed what the various athletic departments and health centers can do to help support student athletes with USD’s president and deans. The athletic department has a Scholar-Athlete Wellness Team (SAWT) with on-campus staff to help with nutrition,
sports psychology and behavioral and mental health services. Their mission outlines how they take a multifaceted approach to supporting student athletes, as they address individual’s struggles and potential issues as athletics and academic life intertwine. However, some students are still unaware of the mental health awareness movement going on or the resources that are available to them on campus. Vivy Stillman, a first-year rower on the women’s USD team, mentioned it was good that they were conducting this week of acknowledgment. “I think having a student athlete mental health week is a great idea,” Stillman shared. “Athletes go through a lot that can be mentally stressful and on top of school work – it’s really difficult. Balancing that is very hard. I wish that they would advertise what they are actually doing for this mental health week, as I haven’t heard anything about it going on until now.” Stillman indicated she hadn’t heard of the week before. She described how she was dually unclear about the ways which these departments directly support student athletes and what they plan to do for this week of awareness, other than post just a single Instagram post. Stillman herself struggles with balance, and appreciates the steps being taken by the athletic departments for the difficulties that student athletes face on a daily basis. In the month of October, Torero Edge is recognizing Mental Health Awareness Month, acknowledging athletes, too, are human beings first.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available Torero by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at Sudoku 988lifeline.org SHY BROWN GAMES EDITOR
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COMING UP THIS WEEK
WTEN at ITA Regionals Thursday, Oct. 15 8 a.m. San Diego, CA
WVB at Seattle U Thursday, Oct. 15 6 p.m. Seattle, WA
MXC at Highlander Classic Saturday, Oct. 17 8 a.m. Riverside, CA
WXC at Highlander Classic Saturday, Oct. 17 8 a.m. Riverside, CA
WSWIM at MPSF Open Water Saturday, Oct. 17 10:30 a.m. Long Beach, CA
WVB at Portland Saturday, Oct. 17 1 p.m. Portland, OR
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October 15, 2026
AR TS & FEATURE
Celebrating Filipino History Students celebrate Filipino American History Month
JULIA HURTADO FEATURE WRITER Singing, dancing and speeches rang out from Copley Library to kick off Filipino American History Month. Throughout the evening, USD students shared a series of traditional song and dance performances. Toreros gathered together for a night of food and festivities to learn about Filipino culture. In 1857, the first presence of Filipinos in the United States was recorded in Morro Bay, Calif. when Luzones Indios, came ashore from the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Esperanza. Filipino American History Month was proposed in 1991 by the Filipino American National Historical Society and first celebrated in 1992. The U.S. Congress recognized October as Filipino American History Month in 2009. Various states and cities continue to recognize the month through events and celebrations during October. On Oct. 1, USD hosted its fourth annual Filipino American History Month Celebration in Copley Library’s Mother Hill Reading Room. The event featured Benito Bautista, a San Diego-based filmmaker and artist, as the keynote speaker. The USD Filipino Ugnayan Student Organization (FUSO) co-sponsored the event. The night began with two students performing a duet in Filipino titled “Dahil Sa’Yo’” or “Because of You.” USD junior Monique Alcaraz and senior Donovin Bocalan took the stage to perform the harana, a traditional serenade where a man sings to his romantic interest from outside her window. Following this performance, Bautista spoke about his experiences growing up. USD sophomore Adriel Reomales explained his opinion on the keynote speaker’s story. “I appreciate his vulnerability,” Reomales shared. “It’s honestly really inspiring for us as students to see how, even coming from a different, more difficult background, if you just believe in yourself and your own abilities, you are really just able to achieve your dreams as long as you have that confidence and that drive.” USD sophomore Janine Ulep listened alongside Reomales in the audience. Being Filipino, Ulep explained how Bautista’s speech made her feel seen. “Having my culture being talked about from another person’s experiences is very special to me because I could
Community comes together through connecting over Filipino American History Month. embrace the fact that he’s Filipino,” Ulep expressed. The evening concluded with a cultural dance titled “Bulaklakan” or “flower garden,” performed by members of FUSO and choreographed by USD junior Sofia Dinglasa. The dance, traditionally performed in May, honors the Virgin Mary and is done while dancers hold arches overhead decorated with flowers. USD senior Caela Cabal and president of FUSO attended the event on campus. Cabal mentioned the importance of these celebrations being hosted by USD. “My favorite part of tonight
is being able to celebrate and showcase our culture,” Cabal shared. “Whether it be through the dances, the songs or the keynote speaker, I think it’s very valuable to be able to have a space to really highlight what we’re about and what our identity comes with essentially. It’s important to have these events because it gives us the space to show up authentically; to be ourselves without having to hide different parts of our identities.” After the celebration concluded, guests enjoyed traditional Filipino food. Pancit, a stir-fry noodle dish, and lumpia, fried spring rolls, were among some of
the food served at the event. Reomales discussed the importance of sharing Filipino culture on the USD campus. “It’s a really great opportunity for the USD community in general to really see what Filipino culture is all about,” Reomales explained. “We’re not all just about the food, although, of course that’s an important part of what we do.” USD sophomore Sophia Gonzalez took pictures of the event from the audience. Gonzalez shared her thoughts on celebrating culture. “At a predominantly white institution it’s important to have these heritage nights
Art by Kyra Lefebvre to celebrate… and also highlight the experience for not only the speaker but for everybody else,” Gonzalez stated. “Maybe [at] a Hispanic Heritage [event] they can get some carne asada in here. I think that would be fun.” Through a series of dances, songs and speeches, members of the USD campus shared aspects of their Filipino heritage with the broader community. By hosting cultural events, the USD community can learn about the traditions and values of their Filipino peers on campus. Filipino American History month continues with more events being hosted throughout the month.