San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec

San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec




San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec

A year in review: The stories that bookmarked the 2017-18 school year

Sept. 5, 2017: Thousands of San Diegans protested at downtown’s Waterfront Park after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced President Trump’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Currently, the status of DACA recipients remains uncertain after Congress’s failure to replace the program with a permanent solution.

Sept. 16, 2017: San Diego State junior Jasmine Madarang was struck and killed by a car after apparently attempting to cross Interstate 8. She had been last seen tailgating with her friends before an SDSU football game. Toxicology reports would later reveal that THC and alcohol were in her system when the accident occurred.

Nov. 6, 2017: SDSU’s Phi Kappa Theta fraternity was removed from campus following allegations of violation of the university’s alcohol policy. Issues arose after a student who had been taken to a hospital for alcohol poisoning claimed to have come from a Phi Kappa Theta party. The expulsion will span a minimum of seven years.

Nov. 7, 2017: The University Senate passed a non-binding resolution to retire the Aztec Warrior mascot and moniker. The resolution also called for the creation of a task force to investigate the appropriateness of the mascot, which began meeting in late January.

A statement issued on Jan. 17 that announced the plans for the task force was altered in February to say the university would not release the names of the task force members.

Feb. 7: Adela de la Torre was named SDSU’s new president. She’s the university’s first Latina president, and the first woman to hold the office permanently. She has been very outspoken in her support for undocumented students and said she seeks to embrace SDSU’s diversity. De la Torre is set to begin her term as president in June.

March 8: The Aztec Recreation Center expansion referendum narrowly passed with 51 percent of student voters in support of the action. The current student body fee will increase $195 a semester beginning after the new gym is constructed. With this fee, the gym will be available to all students without having to pay an additional membership fee. Students can expect construction to begin in 2019, and the new gym is predicted to be finished in 2021.

March 10: No. 6 seed Men’s Basketball defeated Fresno State, University of Nevada and University of New Mexico to advance to the NCAA March Madness tournament.

April 24: A federal judge in the District of Columbia ruled that the Trump administration must continue the DACA program and reopen it to new applicants.

About the Contributors
Bella Ross, Editor in Chief
Bella Ross is an SDSU senior double majoring in journalism and political science. She started working at The Daily Aztec in the news section in Fall 2017 and started to make videos for the newspaper in the Spring. She also works as an intern for Voice of San Diego and does some freelance work. In the past, she's worked at KPBS, inewsource and The San Diego Union-Tribune. She is hoping to report on national politics for a large newspaper one day. Follow her on Twitter @BellaMayaRoss.
David Santillan, Assistant News Editor
  David is a senior at San Diego State where he is majoring in French. David has been working at The Daily Aztec since 2017 and is the current Assistant News Editor. He is a transfer student from Palomar College, where he worked as an arts & culture writer for The Telescope, Palomar's on-campus newspaper.
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San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913
A year in review: The stories that bookmarked the 2017-18 school year