College Media Network

Looking Through Our Lens

LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS: Just around the river bend

Senior Staff Photographer Lindsey Martin took this tranquil photo of the San Diego River that runs through Ocean Beach.

LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS: Proposition 8 Protests

Staff Photographer Andrew Huse took pictures of thousands of gay rights activists who marched through the streets of San Diego this weekend against the ban on same-sex marriages.

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  • LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS: Equality for all

    Photo Editor David J. Olender captured the thousands of people marching downtown to protest the effects of Proposition 8.

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  • LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS: Grindin' ain't easy

    Staff Photographer Jon Glass captured this photo of amateur skater Jake Johnson busting out a backside smith grind at Griffith Park during a recent trip to Los Angeles.

    LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS: Boardwalk browsing

    Staff Photographer Kallie Larson snapped Mission Beach's storefronts just as the sun was setting and the night lights were turning on.

    LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS: Rocking the Vote

    Assistant Photo Editor Glenn Connelly captured this photo of students lining up yesterday in Aztec Center to cast their votes in the 2008 Presidential Election.

    LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS: Covetastic

    Staff Photographer Kallie Larson took this shot of nearby La Jolla Cove. The famous cove is home to the likes of swimmers, scuba divers and snorkelers.

    LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS: Taking you to the moon and back

    Staff Photographer Andrew Huse took this up-close shot of a half moon from Lakeside. The approximate distance from the Earth to the moon is 238,900 miles.

    LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS: Kick flip

    Staff Photographer Jon Glass shot professional skater, Gabe Ryan, busting out a backside kick flip over a chain in Pacific Beach.

    LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS: Waterfront skimming

    Staff Photographer Kallie Larson captured this photo of a skim boarder at Mission Beach.

    LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS: Flying frontside

    Staff Photographer Jon Glass took this photo of professional skateboarder Dave Broullard busting out a frontside indy grab at the nearby Ocean Beach Skate Park.

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  • LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS: Full moon

    Staff Photographer Kallie Larson captured this spooky moon covered by the foggy skies in downtown San Diego.

    LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS: Wall ride

    Staff Photographer Jon Glass captured this amateur skater, Brian Winche, busting out a wall ride in Middletown — a nook of downtown San Diego.

    LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS: Mission San Diego de Alcala

    Assistant Photo Editor Glenn Connelly captured this photo of the first mission in California, the Mission San Diego de Alcala in Mission Valley.

    LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS: Soothing Sunset

    Staff Photographer Kallie Larsen took this shot of a local enjoying Mission Beach at dusk.

    LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS: From the cocoon

    Photo Editor David J. Olender took this photo of a butterfly feeding at the butterfly exhibit at the Wild Animal Park.

    LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS: Wilted Beauty

    Photo Editor David J. Olender captured this up-close photo of a wilted red rose. According to the Texas Department of Agriculture, "adding an aspirin to the water will help the flowers last longer."

    LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS: Monkeying Around

    Staff Photographer Karli Cadel took this photo of a monkey at the recent monkey and ape exhibit held at the San Diego Zoo.

    LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS: Sparking a fire

    Staff Photographer Mariam Bier captured this up-close shot of a torch sparking a flame.

    LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS: If you're a bird, I'm a bird

    Staff Photographer Kallie Larson captured this photo of a seagull standing in the whitewash at Mission Beach.

    LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS: Prado building

    Staff Photographer Patricia Dwyer snapped this unique and grandeur Spanish-revival architecture at Balboa Park.

    SDS-View

    SDS-VIEW: The show

    Assistant Photo Editor Glenn Connelly captured this shot of enthusiastic Aztec fans at last night's game against Arizona State.

    SDS-VIEW: Money shot

    Assistant Photo Editor Glenn Connelly captured San Diego State basketball forward Billy White in the air shooting to score.

    SDS-VIEW: Polar ice

    Photo Editor David J. Olender caught this polar bear spending some time in the sun at the San Diego Zoo.

    SDS-VIEW: Screaming good fun

    Staff Photographer Jon Glass caught this shot of Marylin Manson and Twiggy at Spike TV’s annual Scream Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. Find out which 2008 movies made the creepy list on page 17.

    SDS-VIEW: Long live the queen and king

    Assistant Photo Editor Glenn Connelly took this picture of 2008 Homecoming King and Queen Nathaniel Donnelly and Lakeisha Nacoste who were crowned at the SDSU Homecoming Football Game Saturday against Colorado State at Qualcomm Stadium.

    SDS-VIEW: Just Like Buddy Holly

    Senior Staff Photographer Lindsey Martin captured this shot of Weezer lead vocalist Rivers Cuomo sporting a new do' and pointing into the crowd at Cox Arena last Friday night.

    SDS-VIEW: Sukkah To Me Now

    Senior Staff Photographer Lindsey Martin captured this photo of business junior Adam Schechter while he participated in a Sukkah held on campus.

    SDS-VIEW: Face Off

    Photo Editor David J. Olender took this photo of an art piece entitled, “Ghost Chorus” by Richard Burkett, School of Art, Design and Art History. This piece is currently being shown at SDSU’s Faculty Art Exhibit 2008.

    SDS-VIEW: Aztecs go out with a bang!

    Photo Editor David J. Olender captured this shot of fireworks exploding over Qualcomm Stadium Saturday night.

    SDS-VIEW: Bridge the gap

    Staff Photographer Kallie Larson captured this photo of students walking across the pedestrian bridge late at night.

    Bike Accident

    SDS-VIEW: Bicyclist struck by car on Montezuma

    A man riding a bicycle last Friday in the College Area was struck by a car but not seriously injured on Montezuma Road.

    SDS-VIEW: Aztecs score a win

    Assistant Photo Editor Glenn Connelly caught the Aztecs grabbing their first win of the series beating Idaho 45-17 in front of more than 21,000 roaring fans at Qualcomm Stadium Friday night.

    Recent Back Page Columns

    DANG, KAT: Some titanic proportions

    While getting ready to check out of our hotel room two Sundays ago, my family and I found ourselves glued to the tube by a rerun of James Cameron’s “Titanic.” We picked up from the scene where Jack, played by my childhood (and adult) crush Leonardo DiCaprio, confronts Rose, portrayed by the talented Kate Winslet, on how scared she is to break away from the constraints of the upper-class world.

    KARMA, PLEASE CLOSE YOUR EYES: My unfamiliar friends

    Each semester we start anew. We have new schedules, new professors, new classmates and new routes to new classes. Eventually we find consistency and familiarity in our new schedules and it all becomes repetitive and routine. Before long you can guess which bikes will be parked at the bike rack by Aztec Center, who’s working at the East Commons Aztec Shop before your lit class and which guy will be rushing out of Parking Structure 4 blaring some Ludacris or Chingy song with the windows down.

    IF YOU'RE NOT WEIRD, YOU'RE WEIRD: My day, caffeine-free

    Coffee entered my life at a very young age. As a kid, the peer pressure to stay awake for TGIF and still be expected to wake up for Saturday morning cartoons was as difficult as admitting that “MMMBop” is one of my favorite songs.

    JUST JOSHIN' YA: Life lessons in crashing

    "Life’s a wedding. Crash it.”

    If you’re unfamiliar with this catchphrase or simply need a quick refreshment, it’s from my all-time favorite movie, “Wedding Crashers,” a 2005 comedy about two men who crash weddings to meet and sleep with women.

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  • HUMOR: Exploring like Balboa

    As soon as your eyelids peel apart and you let the sun ricochet off the walls of your skull, you realize you have a headache. You groan, you roll over, you cling to your pillow for comfort as the night floods back to you in one big smack on the forehead. You don’t think you’re nauseous but when you stand up to check — no, definitely not going to make it out of this morning alive.

    IF YOU'RE NOT WEIRD, YOU'RE WEIRD: Striking isn’t fair to us

    I was mere weeks from recovering from my Post-Traumatic Strike Disorder after the 100-day writers strike, before the possibility of an actors strike ensued. On June 30, the Screen Actors Guild’s contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers expired, and until now, a new contract has yet to be signed. “Actors strike” is as lethal a combination of words as “game over” or “mission failed” is to hard-core gamers.

    IT'S NOT WHITE BOY DAY: Call me T. Rolley, thanks

    Because of our country’s economic downturn and gas being expensive as all hell, the last couple of months I’ve been getting to and from school via San Diego’s public transit system. I bought a pass that lasts all year and I have to say, it has been working out pretty well.

    JUST JOSHIN' YA: Inside the lines of sports

    Ever since I was a kid, sports have been my life.

    For starters, my favorite television show is SportsCenter and my aspiring tattoo is the Dodgers’ LA symbol embroidered with purple outlining and gold filling.

    If that’s not enough, perhaps my license plate frame best portrays the sentiment: “Nothing matters but sports.”

    HUMOR: Some ordinary outfitting

    I hate Urban Outfitters.

    “Why?” you ask. “I love Urban Outfitters! Their stuff is so cute!” That’s the general response to my hatred.

    IF YOU'RE NOT WEIRD, YOU'RE WEIRD: Voting is the cat's meow

    Every four years, the Olympic Games fill viewers’ digital video recorder space. Athletes incapable of waiting their turn participate in synchronized diving, while rhythmic gymnasts attempt to perform as gracefully as Frank the Tank. February has long been separated from the 29th day of the month, but every four years a leap is taken and the flame is rekindled.

    IT'S NOT WHITE BOY DAY: Dedication at its finest

    The first time it happened was in January of 2006. It was a wonderful start of something new for me and the three other guys involved. As much as we enjoyed it, we knew society wouldn't understand. None of us would admit it, but there was a fair amount of shame to go along with the unadulterated pleasure we received from our newfound love.

    HUMOR: Hello, I'm Buck Foston

    Hate is a strong, ugly word.

    I’ve always made a conscious effort to avoid using it casually (though it seems to pop out whenever I’m discussing my esteemed Sports Editor, Edward Lewis).

    So I hope when I say, “I hate Boston,” you don’t assume I’m using any sort of hyperbole, because I really, really hate Boston.

    DANG, KAT: A love-hate relationship

    I just sank my teeth into a delicious Snickers bar, and am thinking to myself that if an award for the best chocolate candy bar in the whole galaxy existed, I would rush to vote for this particular one. Before you start neighing like a horse and dispute that it could easily be bested by other ones, your argument will fall on deaf ears.

    IF YOU'RE NOT WEIRD, YOU'RE WEIRD: The big decision of 2008

    I’ve spent the last few weeks in deep thought over a pressing matter currently affecting a vast majority of people. Very soon, a vital decision will need to be made and it is very important for people to be aware of all the issues beforehand. Personally, I’m trying to decide between a character possessing honor and decisiveness and one with creativity and boldness.

    KARMA, PLEASE CLOSE YOUR EYES: How hungry will we be?

    Oh holidays, the season of sharing, loving and gaining weight. Right? Everyone knows that winter is the scariest time of year for us gym rats.

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  • IT'S NOT WHITE BOY DAY: You don't scare me, TJ

    If you always listen to the media, you’d never cross the border into Mexico. The media, what a joke. This is the same “media’” that killed Princess Diana, remember? The media doesn’t know jack.

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  • DANG, KAT: The nonchalant culture

    The first time I heard the word “nonchalant” was in my junior year of high school. I’m not too sure of how I came across it exactly, but I think a fellow classmate had it as her username on a blog site. From then on, every time someone said “nonchalant” I pictured it dwarfing the other words in the sentence.

    IF YOU'RE NOT WEIRD, YOU'RE WEIRD: Dissecting the vacation

    Vacations are retirement test trials, and the tourism industry desires trips to last as long as it took Moses to find the Promised Land and then save Private Ryan. For travelers, fanny packs not only serve as mini backpacks, but act as human bumpers in the event of a fast paced run-in. While traveling safely, vacationers explore local attractions, taking as many photos as paparazzi take to make sure selling their souls doesn’t go to waste.

    KARMA, PLEASE CLOSE YOUR EYES: To Costa Rica, from love

    Hello San Diego State, this is Kristina Peltin reporting from Costa Rica. Yes, you read right, reporting from Costa Rica. For those chepitos (nosy people) wondering why I’m here, you can refer to my Dating and Romance article from Aug. 28 at The Daily Aztec Web site: www.thedailyaztec.com.

    IT'S NOT WHITE BOY DAY: You're cracking my egg

    This is a public service announcement intended to improve the overall quality of life on campus.

    I’ve been noticing a few things that have been making it hard for me to show my sunny side. Up until now, I just figured these things would work themselves out as students wise up to campus life. Well, that hasn’t happened yet, so hopefully this will help.

    DANG, KAT: A few birthday wishes

    I turn 23 tomorrow.

    I am not dreading this. I’ve been looking forward to this since the day after I turned 22. This is not the primary reason, of course, but I get to indulge in any Cold Stone Creation that I want for free since I’m a member of their Birthday Club. Mmm...strawberry ice cream with graham cracker pie bits and white chocolate chips. Heaven, make a space for this little angel here, because she’s coming your way! Yeah, yeah, that was corny, but I figured I’d exercise my right as a birthday celebrant to put that in.

    IF YOU'RE NOT WEIRD, YOU'RE WEIRD: Rolling around campus

    A few weeks ago, my temptation to wear a muscle tee made me realize my books had become dumbbells with prose inside of them. From years of carrying my backpack on one side, my shoulders were as unbalanced as the justice in O.J. Simpson’s murder trail. After finding Simpson in bed with Lady Liberty, Lady Justice made sure his new collection of memorabilia would include an orange jumpsuit.

    IT'S NOT WHITE BOY DAY: Tale of a dwindling bar

    Oh no, did you hear? I can’t believe it. It can’t be true! Louie’s Bar is closing! I can’t believe it. I said that already!  

    They can’t close down Louie’s. They just can’t. There are already so few reasons to skip class once I’m already on campus, and Louie’s has been the best one for years.

    What do the suits upstairs think they are doing? I mean, this is a college campus. College. We can’t have more libraries on campus than we do pubs. Madness!

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  • IF YOU'RE NOT WEIRD, YOU'RE WEIRD: An age sweeter than 16

    Life’s milestones gave birth to Hallmark cards while “The Scarlet Letter” was the inspiration behind letterman jackets. One milestone I have been through countless of times is being engaged. The engagement lasts around an hour, until I have licked the ring pop to its core and have no use for it anymore. Graduation is a milestone, and at San Diego State, graduating in four years is as impressive as becoming a vice-presidential nominee when only having a small amount of experience.

    DANG, KAT: Burying your head under

    Did you know that San Diego State has ostriches?

    Yes, as in the creatures known to bury their heads in the ground when frightened, thinking that because they can’t see anything around them, they can’t be seen either. Fun fact: Ostriches don’t actually bury their heads. They lay it flat on the ground.

    KARMA, PLEASE CLOSE YOUR EYES: Ya I'm pretty, so what?

    Oh Palin. Palin, Palin, Palin. As I’ve been watching her the past few weeks in her attempt at interviews, the debate she just participated in and the brilliant Saturday Night Live skits mocking her, I’ve wondered, “Palin, how did you get to where you are?”

    Of course she can’t answer that question to; she’s too busy doing … wait, no really, how did she get where she is again?

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  • IT'S NOT WHITE BOY DAY: Silence is golden, really

    Disgust. Hatred. Murder. All of these things were prominent in my heart after 50 minutes of Geography 102. I arrived to class early and landed my favorite seat, back row, with the aisle to my right.

    ARE YOU THERE, TAAKA? IT'S ME, FARYAR: Do I feel a draft in here?

    If you're like half of my friends and you're a dude, then you are probably feeling the stress of week 5 in your fantasy football league. Now, you could have been like me and drafted Tom Brady in both your leagues as your first pick. Or, you could have been like my friend, who will remain unnamed, but has a very similar name to that of Benedict XVI, and drafted the entire Green Bay Packers' offense and defense because he thinks that they are God's football team to men.

    DANG, KAT: The lesson of heritage

    I remember one afternoon when I was grocery shopping with my mom. I was watching the cashier bag our items, when my eye caught her name tag. "Evelyn" was written in big, bold letters.

    My six-year-old self mentally examined my name, Ching Ching, which, at that time, I didn't know was just a nickname. Why did my parents have to give me such a kiddy name? Even at that age, I was already starting to worry about what future employers would say when they received a résumé from a certain Ching Ching Danganan. No one would take a person with that name seriously, I theorized. I thought I was doomed for good.

    IF YOU'RE NOT WEIRD, YOU'RE WEIRD: Jets fans say 'bye-bye'

    Sept. 22, 2008 was the day San Diego came close to an apocalypse. A similar sense of doom was felt when 99 Cent Only stores raised their prices to 99.99 cents. Now people find a penny, pick it up and all day long enjoy questionable fruit for under a buck. Fortunately, last Monday, San Diegans were able to step out of their fallout shelters and celebrate the long-awaited victory of the Chargers.

    Because my razor scooter was in the shop, I was forced to take a slower form of transportation to the game, known as the trolley.