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ACCOMMODATIONS

San Diego State University offers a wide variety of comfortable and safe accommodations to fit any program need. With space for over 4,000 guests, your program will feel right at home on our beautiful campus. All rooms and facilities are non-smoking, come equipped with wireless high-speed internet and most locations have access to one of the nearby pools.

• Chapultepec

Maya & Olmeca

University towers.

• Tacuba & Tepeyac
• South Campus Plaza

Villa Alvarado

Maya & Olmeca halls are on the east side of campus. Each three-story red brick building houses approximately 420 residents. Each hall includes a laundry room, and study room. The east campus swimming pool for Maya, Olmeca and Tenochca guests is located adjacent to Maya hall.

Bedroom styles: Single, double, triple occupancy rooms with communal bathrooms Dimensions: Single, double, triple rooms: 11 ft. x 15 ft. Bed sizes: Twin XL Parking/Permit requirements: Parking Structure 3 & 4 with SDSU permit

• Furnished: each guest is provided a bed, desk, chair, dresser and wardrobe
• Laundry facility
• Wireless internet
• Microfridge (microwave & mini fridge/freezer)
• 24-hour front desk operations
• Access to East Campus Rec Center: swimming pool, basketball & volleyball courts, putting green
• Fire pit, BBQs, outdoor lounge seating

Tacuba & Tepayac

Cuicacalli Suites has all-suite accommodations for approximately 750 guests, an in-house dining facility, Aztec Market convenience store, swimming pool and sand volleyball court.

Cuicacalli Suites consists of three buildings; Tacuba (east tower), Tepeyac (west tower) and the central building which houses the largest contiguous dining facility on campus, The Garden.

There are two different layouts for the suites: each suite housing nine students depending on the suite configuration. One model consists of a triple room, a double room and four single rooms. The second model consists of one triple room and six single rooms. All suites include a shared living area and two bathrooms. Each suite is single-gender; floors are coed.

Bedroom styles: Single, double, triple occupancy rooms with suite bathrooms Dimensions: Single rooms: 8 ft. x 12 ft. Triple and double rooms: 12 ft. x 12 ft. Bed sizes: Twin XL Parking/Permit requirements: Parking Structure 3 & 4 with SDSU permit

• Kitchenette
• Swimming pool and sand volleyball court

This eight-story east side residence hall offers housing for approximately 430 guests. Adjacent to the building is the Tula Community Center.

Other accommodations include a TV lounge, rec room, community kitchen, and a laundry facility.

Bedroom styles: Single, double, and triple occupancy rooms with communal bathrooms Dimensions: Double and triple rooms: 11 ft. x 15 ft. Bed sizes: Twin XL Parking/Permit requirements: Parking Structure 3 & 4 with SDSU permit

• Furnished: each resident is provided a bed, desk, chair, dresser and wardrobe
• Community kitchen
• Community bathrooms
• Microfridge (microwave with a mini-refrigerator and freezer) provided in each bedroom

This 11-story high rise houses 820 guests in triple rooms and double rooms. The ground floor hosts a study lounge, recreation room, TV lounge, music room, community kitchen and laundry facility. An Aztec Market convenience store and the Cholula Community Center are located just outside the residence hall's front doors.

Located on the west side of campus near University Towers, "Chappy" is near the athletic fields, Peterson Gym, Viejas Arena, the Aztec Recreation Center, Aztec Aquaplex, and parking lots.

Bedroom styles: Single, double, and triple occupancy rooms with communal bathrooms Dimensions: Double and Triple rooms: 11 ft. x 15 ft. Bed sizes: Twin XL Parking/Permit requirements: Parking Structure 7 & 12 with SDSU permit

• Furnished: each resident is provided a bed, desk, chair, dresser and closet or wardrobe
• Aztec Market and café
• Access to Huaxyacac Courtyard: fire pit, BBQs, shuffleball, lounge seating

University Towers (UT) has semi-suite accommodations for 560 guests, a swimming pool, and optional private parking. The University Towers Kitchen (UTK) is adjacent to the building.

UT is a nine-story high rise that offers furnished double rooms with semi-private baths (two double rooms share one bathroom).

Bedroom styles: Double occupancy rooms with communal bathrooms Dimensions: Double rooms: 11 ft. x 15 ft. Bed sizes: Standard twin Parking/Permit requirements: Parking Structure 7 with SDSU permit and UT parking lot with UT permit 

• In-suite bathroom (shared by two rooms)
• Sink and vanity in each room
• Swimming pool

Zura is a three-tower, eight-story high-rise housing 800 residents in single, double, triple and quad rooms.

The Zura first floor hosts a recreation room, a central lounge, a meeting room, community kitchen and laundry facility.

Bedroom styles: Single, Double, Triple and Quad occupancy rooms with communal bathrooms Dimensions: Vary based on room type. Most rooms are double rooms: 11 ft. x 15 ft. Bed sizes: Twin XL Parking/Permit requirements: Parking Structure 3 & 4 with SDSU permit

• Community recreation room

South Campus Plaza - North & South

South Campus Plaza is a 2-building, mixed-use housing facility which will house around 800 residents in double and triple rooms.

The floor hosts a recreation room, a central lounge, a meeting room, community kitchen and laundry facility.

Bedroom styles: Double and triple occupancy rooms with a private bathroom in each room Dimensions: Most rooms are 11 ft. x 15 ft. Bed sizes: Twin XL Parking/Permit requirements: Parking Structure 3 & 4 with SDSU permit

• In-suite bathroom
• Community kitchen and lounge

Coming soon

Bedroom styles: Single, double, triple, quad occupancy rooms with communal bathrooms Dimensions: TBD Bed sizes: Twin XL Parking/Permit requirements: Parking Structure 12 with SDSU permit

• Courtyard with fire pits, BBQs, shuffleboard, lounge seating

Bedroom styles: 2-3 bedrooms with 1 bathroom Dimensions: TBD Bed sizes: Twin XL Parking/Permit requirements: Parking Structure 17 with SDSU permit

• Full kitchen
• Front desk operations

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Huāxyacac Residence Hall, San Diego State University

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• DESCRIPTION

Huāxyacac Residence Hall

San Diego State University

This new freshman housing complex is a significant addition to San Diego State’s student life program. Located on a long and narrow site on the west side of the campus, Huāxyacac Hall joins with an existing 600-bed dorm to create a new freshman village, tailor-made for first year students.

Huāxyacac Hall was designed to address the unique needs of first year students, including amenities such as a community kitchen, community center, market and coffee shop to encourage socialization and interaction with peers. The project was also designed to address a burgeoning demand for affordable housing. This involved tripling the double rooms and turning triples into quads to give maximum flexibility in accommodating students and handle the constant ebb and flow of students matriculating at SDSU. The building provides a focused, age appropriate freshman experience, a “place to call home” for students that will aid in recruitment and support the University’s goals for student success by bolstering SDSU’s retention and graduation rates.

Other features of the project include apartments for staff, multi-purpose rooms, mail room, courtyards, indoor bike storage, small study lounges scattered throughout, and a plaza that can accommodate food trucks and farmer’s market vendors.

This new, 1,193-bed. Freshman Housing complex is a significant addition to the San Diego State’s student life program. The building is located on the west side of campus on a long and narrow site next to a large ravine and the existing Chapultepec (Chappy) Hall.

The project ties the new and existing housing together with a market, coffee shop, community center, communal kitchen, lounge/study areas, courtyards, and a plaza that can accommodate food trucks and farmer market vendors.

With SDSU’s recent requirement for both freshman and sophomores to live on campus, the NSRH provides a focused, age-appropriate freshman experience—a “place to call home” for students that will aid in recruitment and support the University’s goals for student success by bolstering SDSU’s retention and graduation rates.

The narrow site and poor soils require complex foundations and retaining walls to accommodate the State Fire Marshal access required for serving the new units and maintaining access to the existing Chappy Tower.

PROGRAM iNCLUDES

• Administrative Space • Support Areas • Gathering Spaces • Collaboration Space • Study Rooms • Community Room • Lounges • Fitness Center • Community Kitchen • Dining Facility/Food Services • Coffee Shop • Laundry

This project is certified LEED® Gold.

• Associated General Contractors of America (AGC)/San Diego Chapter

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Huaxyacac Hall Dorm Reviews at SDSU

Huaxyacac Hall has really nice facilities and since it's pretty new it's clean with no mold. The patio area is really nice as well. There's grills and fire places and lots of tables for hanging out. There's also a BCB cafe and a market in the courtyard, as well as food trucks Monday-Friday. The worst thing about Huaxyacac is the location. It's at least a ten minute walk to campus and food places. The closest things to Huaxyacac is the gym and baseball stadium.

🧭   LOCATION

🧼   CLEANLINESS

👋   STAFF

🛠   MAINTENANCE

🛀   BATHROOMS

🧯   SAFETY

🛋   COMMON AREAS

📣   NOISE

Need a Roommate? Get Started Here.

Caroline G.

housing is a complete nightmare. RA's are nice and helpful but hall is super far from most other freshman dorms. we have doors on showers which is nice and its a newer dorm but people are entitled and rude.

This is easily one of the best dorms at state. It is super clean and modern and close to the gym. I lived in Chapultepec at first, but transferred. It absolutely changed my entire college experience. Choose Huaxyaca!

Victoria L.

I had a great experience at Huaxyacac Hall, I met a lot of really great people and made many friends. I think most people who live in Huaxy have a great time because it is a very social dorm. There are a lot of common areas, and even movie rooms so it's really easy to meet people there.

I had a very good experience at Huaxyacac Hall my freshman year of college! It is a very social dorm so be ready to make life long friends. The location is okay because you are a bit far from classes but you are close to the gym as well as the aquaplex. The staff is incredible nice and the bathrooms are the best on campus! You also have two foods trucks that come 4-5 times a week and you are able to use your meal plan! Overall highly recommend this dorm.

Verified Resident

It's probably better than the other dorms, but the common areas on the dorm floors don't have a lot. The kitchen, laundry room, and open areas are nice. The big downer about this dorm is that it's far from the main part of campus, including most dining options. It is nice that it is super close to both the pool and the gym (across the street from the gym, 200m from the pool). The RA's in my year were great, but that always changes. Overall it seems like SDSU has a good system of selecting RA's so you shouldn't have an issue.

Huaxyacac was the best dorm ever! I lived in it during the 2019-2020 school year, the first year of students to live in it. I loved everything about this building. Everything was so clean and user friendly. The common areas were great, and the bathrooms were so much nicer than the other dorms. I loved Huaxyacac!!

I was in this dorm my freshman year. New dorms 2019. I had an amazing experience coming 7 hours from home. I enjoyed doing my homework and studying in the nice clean dorm. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. This made my freshman year an awesome one

Huaxyacac was an incredible experience and I met so many amazing people in the dorms. My room was amazing and the RA's were great! the environment was so nice and people were very friendly and outgoing always and I always felt welcome! The building itself was amazing and it was brand new when we moved in.

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Move-Out Spring 2024

* The information below is for students with a 9-month license agreement. If you are moving out before your license agreement ends, please visit the Early Move-Out webpage .

• Check-Out Appointment

Damage & Cleaning Responsibilities

Unwanted items, moving & loading belongings, bike & surfboard storage, shipping & storage.

Please watch the video above for helpful move-out tips and reminders!

Thank you for living on campus and making San Diego State University your home! We hope that your experience living with us has provided you with a sense of community, potential lifelong friends, and opportunities to engage in social and academic activities and programs. We appreciate your contribution to making our campus a vibrant and inclusive place to live and learn!

In preparation for housing move-out, please complete the Move-out Form by Friday, April 26 in acknowledgment of our general move-out policies and procedures.

Complete Move-Out Form

Note that residents who do not follow check-out procedures will be assessed improper check-out fees and may also incur cleaning and/or damage charges .

For students with a 9-month license agreement, housing facilities close at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 10 . You must check out by 8 p.m. on the day of your last final exam.

Check Out Appointment

You are required to attend the closing meeting provided by your building staff, to make sure your check-out process is complete. Your RA/CA will inform you of the date, time and location of the meeting. Once you know your finals schedule, please sign up for a check-out appointment time with your RA/CA. 

Check-out appointments will be available as follows: 

• Monday, May 6, through Thursday, May 9 between the hours of 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. 
• Friday, May 10 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. 

We encourage you not to wait until the last appointment day to ensure you have access to moving supplies and to avoid delays. 

During your check-out appointment, your RA/CA will inspect your space, collect your keys, and check you out of your assigned space. This appointment is important because it can potentially save you from getting billed for an improper check-out or late key return. A secondary inspection will be completed by your RHC to assess any fees for excessive trash, cleaning and damages.

Save yourself from disputes and unnecessary damage fees! Discuss damages/cleaning in your assigned space. Please designate what areas you are taking responsibility for. If a resident does not take responsibility for a particular area that is damaged or not cleaned appropriately, charges will be divided amongst all residents of the unit.

All residents complete the move-out damage + cleaning responsibility form prior to move-out.

Please clean your entire space, including your bedroom, bathroom(s), kitchen and living area, if applicable, prior to your check-out appointment. This includes:

• Remove all personal belongings. Double-check that your drawers and closet are empty.
• Restore your room to its initial condition at check-in, including furniture set-up.
• Take all trash and recycling to the dumpsters. Please put trash inside the dumpsters and do not leave any trash near or around the dumpsters.
• Wipe down all surfaces, including furniture and walls.
• Vacuum and sweep the floor, including under the bed.
• Leave your drawers and closet doors open in preparation for your RA/CA inspection.
• Enter a service request on the Housing Portal for any outstanding maintenance or repair needs in your unit before your check-out appointment. Please note that service requests cannot be submitted to clean your unit.
• Do not remove nails, screws or command strips from walls. These will be professionally removed to prevent further damage.  
• Do not unplug the unit mini-fridge.
• Do not put large items down the trash chutes. Please put trash inside the dumpsters outside. 

Cleaning supplies and vacuums are available for check-out at your community front desk.

Please do not leave any unwanted items behind in your space. Abandoned items are subject to abandonment fees of $100 or more. 

Take unwanted items to the dumpsters or donate any non-perishable food and usable items in the donation bins that will be placed in each community on Friday, April 26. 

Please note: Unwanted mattress toppers cannot be donated and must be taken to the dumpsters.

Looking to refresh your closet? Attend the annual “Swap-It-Out” event taking place April 25, 2024 from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m . at the Cholula or Tula Community Center. Attendees will enjoy food and free moving boxes. We hope to see you there!

Moving bins will be available for checkout at your community front desk starting Friday, May 3.

• Prior to your check-out appointment, visit the USS tent located in front of the Chapultepec entrance. 
• At the USS tent, you may check out one moving bin at a time. Fill your moving bins with your belongings and take your full moving bins to the USS tent.
• Once all of your belongings are out of your room and at the USS tent, clean your space and complete checkout with your RA. 
• After checkout, return to the USS tent to pick up a loading permit and drive your vehicle to the loading zone according to the map below.
• At the loading zone staff will load your items into your vehicle. Do not exit your vehicle. 
• Once items are loaded into your vehicle, follow the map to exit the area.

• Prior to your check-out appointment, visit the USS tent located at the fire lane entrance of Huaxyacac. 

Please do not park in the alley/fire lane behind the building.

Free 45-minute parking is available in the parking structure behind the north tower, with a voucher ticket from the front desk. You are responsible for the parking fee should you exceed the 45-minute time limit. Please follow the map for more information.

• Retrieve a moving bin from the front desk and pack your items.
• Move your vehicle to the parking structure behind the north tower and take your parking ticket with you.
• Load your items into your vehicle.
• Return the moving bin to the front desk and get a parking voucher.
• Check out with your RA/CA as instructed.
• Take parking ticket and voucher ticket to the pay kiosk in  the parking garage near the elevators.
• Insert parking ticket, then insert the voucher. You are responsible for fees beyond 45 mins.
• Take ticket from kiosk and proceed to garage exit where you will insert ticket to exit.

If you need to ship or store your personal belongings, please make arrangements with our campus partner, collegeboxes.com . Create an account and enter promo code SDSU2024 for 10% savings. The order deadline is Wednesday, May 8.

Cardboard boxes, tape, and other packing supplies can be purchased from The UPS Stores on campus.

Portable storage containers (PODS, U-Box, etc.) are not allowed and may be towed if placed on university property.

Don’t forget your bike or surfboard! If applicable, return your bike storage key to the Housing Office between noon to 4 p.m. during weekdays and remove surfboard storage locks. Abandoned property will be removed and discarded.

All parking regulations are strictly enforced. Do not park in any fire lanes during move-out or at any time. 

Courtesy parking is available for residents and guests at Parking Lots 3,4,7,12 and 17 on Monday, May 6 through Thursday, May 9, from 6 a.m. through 8 p.m. Courtesy parking is also available on Friday, May 10, from and 6 a.m. through 11 a.m.

All parking regulations are strictly enforced. Do not park in the alley/fire lane behind the building.

Update your mailing address in my.SDSU to your permanent address. Any mail or packages delivered to The UPS Store after checkout will be returned to the sender. If you are expecting a package, please contact the sender to update your permanent address.

Any guests entering a residential community must be checked in at your community front desk, where they will receive a sticker to enter the building during the move-out period.

If you have lost or misplaced your key or fob, enter a Service Request immediately. The last day to report a lost key or fob is May 2, 2024.

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Spring 2024 Edition

Sdsu’s top 10 off-campus hangouts over the years.

What was your go-to spot to grab a bite or catch a show when you went to SDSU? See if yours made the list and razz the writer if it didn’t.

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If you thought I had learned my lesson about the perils of pop-culture partisanship from attempting to rank the top SDSU concerts of all time , guess again! The next topic destined for diehard debate involves San Diego’s best off-campus hangouts through the decades.

Some nearby sites are timeless and somewhat universal to San Diego, but the list presented here focuses more on the locales that were, and in most cases, continue to be distinctive to those who attended and worked at SDSU.

I consulted with hundreds of students, alumni, faculty and staff for insight and saw how differently “hangout” was defined. For most, it was any place that would facilitate socializing. There were two additional caveats. First, the locale had to be off campus, meaning that longtime on-campus favorites — sorry, Henry’s Place, Monty’s Den, etc. — were not eligible. Second, the spot could not have been recently featured in SDSU Magazine; so, much to my chagrin, Sala Thai, Woodstock’s Pizza, Ponce’s Mexican Restaurant and The Hills Pub, among others were not listed. 

Here are the results, in order of when they first opened their doors.

Oscar’s Drive-In 4751 El Cajon Blvd. (at Euclid Avenue)

Oscar’s Drive-In had iconic car-hop service with staff wearing distinctive cowboy hats and neckerchiefs. It was known as the “Circus” because of the elephants on the facade and the many animal posters on the interior. In 1951, owner — and Jack in the Box founder — Robert O. Petersen (the O stands for Oscar) converted it into a Jack in the Box, which still stands today after much remodeling.

The Campus Drive-In 6165 El Cajon Blvd. (at College Avenue)

The first of its kind in San Diego, the Campus Drive-in operated from 1948 to 1983. The massive locale was highlighted with an enormous 80-by-100 mural of SDSU landmarks outlined in neon. That's Cowles Mountain with the S on it (in honor of San Diego State, of course), and the neon majorette in the center even appeared in Life magazine. Big enough for 900 cars — and as many people as one could squeeze into a vehicle — the Campus Drive-In regularly accommodated about 1,000 moviegoers in a night, whether it was to watch “Give My Regards to Broadway” (the venue’s first movie) or “Dragonslayer” (its last).  

Jack in the Box jackinthebox.com 6270 El Cajon Blvd.

The first Jack in the Box was opened at 63rd Street and El Cajon Boulevard in 1951, very close to the Oscar’s turned Jack in the Box (see above). The flagship restaurant quickly became a premier hangout spot for San Diego Staters, as well as for throngs of high schoolers. With that iconic giant clown head on the roof and a sign at the drive-thru that said, “Pull forward, Jack will speak to you,” this locale was a mainstay of popular culture in San Diego, bastioned by the fact that drivers of all ages would show off their hot rods by parking across the street on 63rd.

Barefoot Bar & Grill paradisepoint.com 1404 Vacation Road

Long before it was rebranded as Paradise Point, the iconic Mission Bay beachfront resort and spa was known as Vacation Village, and its most popular hangout spot was the Barefoot Bar. Opened in 1962 at the height of the Cold War, this tiki-themed drinking hole was built into a bank of sand, leading locals to joke that “you could get bombed from the bar but not from the sky.” The spot, which is still serving food and drinks, remained a favorite spot of San Diego State faithful — especially the SDSU Ambassadors who showed prospective students around — for decades.

Bully’s East bullyseastsd.com 2401 Camino del Rio South

Few culinary transformations were more dramatic in 1971 than when an A&W fast-food joint became Bully’s East, a premier family-owned steak house that would become legendary for its esteemed sports clientele and atomic horseradish. Bully’s mahogany bar, plush booths and classic cocktails are a throwback to high-end old-school American cuisine.

D.Z. Akin’s dzakinsdeli.com 6930 Alvarado Road 

Few college-area establishments have had a bigger impact on the local landscape than D.Z. Akin’s, a New York–style Jewish deli that opened in 1980 next to the 8 freeway and has been hailed as “the restaurant that ate San Diego.” With more than 130 sandwiches (“something for everyone”), walls lined with signed pictures of celebrities and a devout SDSU following, D.Z. Akin's shows no sign of slowing down, now into its fifth decade of service.

The Casbah casbahmusic.com 2501 Kettner Blvd.

Although the original location was up the street, The Casbah has been a popular off-campus hangout for live music and socializing since it opened in 1989. Hosting bands nearly every night of the week, this tiny club has an impressive hipster historical legacy that includes Nirvana, Alanis Morissette and Ben Harper.

The Living Room Coffeehouse livingroomcafe.com 5900 El Cajon Blvd.

The Living Room Coffeehouse, which opened on Thanksgiving Day in 1991, is a wildly celebrated daytime hangout spot. The bistro has long boasted the hard-to-beat combo of exquisite cuisine, strong coffee, comfy furniture and a relaxed vibe that makes it easy for SDSU students, faculty and staff to spend hours there.

Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream hammondsgourmet.com 3077 University Ave.

Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream opened in 2014 and quickly became an SDSU favorite. With more than 300 flavors that are made in small batches, the variety is nearly endless and the quality is always high. Hammond’s has many surprise tastes, including unforgettable Exhausted Parent and Fat Elvis.

Cheba Hut chebahut.com 4800 Art St.

Though I’m wary of including new restaurants on this list, the testimonials for Cheba Hut have been so effusive that it cracked the top 10. With fresh bread for the gourmet toasted subs, a wide variety of craft beers, popular video-game competitions (Mario, Fortnite, etc.), indoor and outdoor seating and many TVs for sporting events, Cheba Hut already has a following for the ages.

Honorable mentions

Filippi’s Pizza Grotto realcheesepizza.com 10330 Friars Road

Filippi’s Pizza Grotto in Mission Valley has long been an SDSU favorite for sit-down family-style Italian food. Perhaps the most popular graduation restaurant for out-of-town relatives to recoup after commencement festivities, Filippi’s is a San Diego institution, started in 1950, that now extends across the county.

In-N-Out-Burger in-n-out.com 815 N. Bristol St., Santa Ana

Without a doubt, the strangest entry on this list is the In-N-Out-Burger in not-so-nearby Orange County that hosted scores of famished SDSU students before the franchise opened a restaurant in San Diego in 1990. The two-hour drive — in each direction! — did little to deter those yearning for a Double-Double.

Nina’s Books (closed 2012) 6165 El Cajon Blvd. 

Just so you don’t think that all intellectual pursuits were abandoned by SDSU Aztecs in search of a prime hangout spot, Nina’s Books is a surprise entry on this list. Jammed with thousands of paperbacks, Nina’s impressed customers from 1992 to 2012 with its inventory and policy of allowing customers to return recently read books for credit.

McGregor’s Ale House mcgregorssandiego.com 10475 San Diego Mission Road

Two hotspots in one locale?! McGregor’s Ale House has been delighting SDSU audiences since it opened in 1996. Walking distance from Snapdragon Stadium (once Jack Murphy Stadium and then Qualcomm Stadium) this sports-heavy venue has deep ties to SDSU. The venue was previously known as Smokey’s Nightclub, a hopping bar owned by Smokey Gaines, the famed former SDSU men’s basketball coach from 1978 to 1987.

4.0 Deli (closed 2014) 5844 Montezuma Road 

Though relatively short-lived (2001–2014), the highly popular 4.0 Deli was an SDSU favorite during the early years of the 21st century. Despite being a finalist in the 2009 San Diego Union-Tribune Best Subs/Deli poll and having a strong student following, 4.0 Deli struggled to stay economically viable. In a move that further solidified the venue’s place in SDSU lore and secured it a place on my list, the owner offered $1 beers until his supply ran out. Few weekday lunch hours go by that I don’t have a hankering for a Mr. Miyagi sandwich from 4.0.

What Did We Miss?

Think we left something out? Email [email protected] your list of all-time SDSU hangouts and why. Seth Mallios, author of "Historic Walking Tours of SDSU" and 12 other books, is the university history curator and professor of anthropology at SDSU; he takes leisure time very seriously.

USC’s move to cancel commencement amid protests draws criticism from students, alumni

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The University of Southern California’s decision Thursday to cancel its main graduation ceremony, a move that came 10 days after administrators said the student valedictorian who had expressed support for Palestinians would not be allowed to speak, left students and alumni stunned as protests over the Israel-Hamas war continue to spread on campuses nationwide.

“It seems like USC isn’t really listening to their student body,” said Olivia Lee, a 2023 business administration graduate who said she is rethinking whether to recommend the private university to potential students.

Videos of police officers in riot gear facing off, and ultimately arresting, dozens of protesters on campus left her worried about suggesting her alma mater to teenagers who may join similar demonstrations.

“Could that happen to them?” she said.

The protests over the Israel-Hamas conflict pose a tough test for colleges across the country as administrators seek to balance free speech and open debate against pressures over campus safety.

The USC controversy ignited April 15 when officials said the 2024 valedictorian , who has publicly supported Palestinians, could not make a commencement speech, citing nonspecific security concerns for their rare decision. Days later, USC scrapped the keynote speech by filmmaker Jon M. Chu — a 2003 graduate of the university — and said it would not confer honorary degrees.

By this week, the student protests ignited at Columbia University inspired similar on the Los Angeles campus, with students calling on the university to divest from companies that do business with Israel or support its ongoing military action in Gaza. Ninety demonstrators were arrested Wednesday night. Less than a day later, the university announced it would cancel the May 10 main graduation event -- a ceremony that typically draws 65,000 people to the Los Angeles campus — would not happen this year.

University officials said in a statement they would not be able to process tens of thousands of guests “with the new safety measures in place this year.”

“We understand that this is disappointing; however, we are adding many new activities and celebrations to make this commencement academically meaningful, memorable, and uniquely USC,” the statement said.

Taylor Contarino, a senior who will graduate with a journalism undergraduate degree next month, said there was “disheartening energy” on campus Thursday morning even before the university made its announcement. The school limited campus access to people with USC identification in the wake of Wednesday’s protests.

“I couldn’t help but feel like there was an elephant in the room,” she said. “We’re all walking past each other, showing our IDs to security guards.”

Contarino has wanted to attend USC since she was 13 or 14 years old, and she had planned to attend the main graduation event. But she said her work to cover the protests for Annenberg Media, a student-led news outlet, has reminded her of the importance of her major to witness and record history. She plans to return to USC in the fall for her master’s degree in journalism.

Lee, the 2023 graduate, said she initially didn’t want to wake up early for the main commencement event last year, but her friends convinced her to go. While students walk across the stage for their diplomas at the smaller school ceremonies — which are still scheduled to occur — she said the big ceremony was worth attending.

“It just made the day of graduation that much more special,” she said. “If I was to graduate college again, I would go.”

Lee agrees with the protesters’ call for USC to stop investing money in businesses that support Israel.

“We pay so much to be there,” she said. “I think that students have a right to know where their tuition money goes and is invested in.”

Joshua Adams planned to return to USC’s campus next year with his family to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of receiving his master’s degree in journalism. He called the university’s recent decisions to limit free speech “upsetting” and said he hoped alumni voices would help sway administrators.

Colleges and universities nationwide, including USC, tout themselves as champions of free speech, he said, but at the same time often shy away from defending pro-Palestinian views.

“We’re at an inflection point where students won’t accept that,” Adams said.

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