Associated Students Staff Newsletter

Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 marks National Hispanic & Latinx/e Heritage Month! As a proud federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), SDSU is excited to celebrate the rich histories, cultures and ongoing contributions of Hispanic, Chicanx and Latinx students, faculty and staff.

The Latinx Resource Center, along with campus partners, will be hosting a series of events. Stay tuned for updates on events and more news by visiting the Latinx Resource Center website.

All students, regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin, who are interested in celebrating and participating in Latinx Heritage Month events are welcome. Learn more by reading SDSU's Affirming Equal Opportunity statement.

Hi! My name is Niko Soto, and I serve as the Custodial Services Coordinator for Viejas Arena and the Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre. No two event days are exactly the same, but they all have one thing in common: there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes to make sure our venues are ready to welcome thousands of guests.

Today, we’re hosting Jorge Medina at the Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre, so I’m bringing you along for a look at what a typical event day looks like for me, from the early walkthroughs and preparations to working alongside our custodial team and keeping the venue looking its best once the gates open.

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1 — 9 a.m.

9 a.m.: To begin my day, I head over to the Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre to conduct a walkthrough of the venue, checking the seating areas, restrooms and catering spaces to make sure everything is in good condition and ready for our guests. I also check our custodial supplies and inventory to ensure the team has everything they need for the event, making a quick trip to Viejas Arena to restock if necessary.

2 — 10 a.m.

10 a.m.: I check in with Maria, our morning porter, to review the day’s routine, discuss any additional event needs and make sure she has the supplies and equipment necessary to get the job done. Maria knows the venue and our routine extremely well, which allows me to confidently make my rounds and focus on other operational needs while she helps ensure the Open Air Theatre is clean, stocked and ready before the rest of our custodial team arrives.

3 — 1 p.m.

1 p.m.: Once I feel confident that the venue is in good shape and I can step away for a bit, I head back to my office at Viejas Arena to catch up on administrative work, including pending invoices, scheduling and upcoming projects. Right now, I’m preparing for a project to redo the floors in our upper concourse restrooms, which involves planning out costs, coordinating the timing and making sure everything is in place to complete the work with minimal impact on our event schedule. At some point, I sneak in some lunch!

4 — 4:30 p.m.

4:30 p.m.: As our custodial team begins to arrive, we come together for a pre-event briefing to review the day’s custodial needs, run of show, key areas of focus and any feedback or takeaways from past events. Beyond preparing for the event, this is also a great opportunity for me to check in with everyone on a personal level, catch up with the team and continue building the relationships that are such an important part of working together successfully.

5 — 6 p.m.

6:00 PM: Being an outdoor venue, the Open Air Theatre is constantly exposed to the elements, which means we have to give it a little extra love to make sure it’s clean and presentable before our gates open. Our custodial team arrives two hours before gates to focus on the seating areas which includes clearing away dust, leaves, miscellaneous trash and everyone’s favorite: spider webs! I like to call our custodial team the “silent heroes” of the venue; they continuously take care of the small details that often go unnoticed, but collectively make a huge difference in creating a clean, welcoming environment for every guest who walks through our gates.

6 — 7:45 p.m.

7:45 PM: The gates are open, guests are seated and the show is about to begin! At this point, our team is in full effect, and I continue making my rounds to ensure everything is being maintained throughout the venue while our custodial team, Aramark, does a great job keeping up with our restrooms, seating areas, upper concourse and catering spaces. Maintaining the venue is a nonstop effort once guests arrive, so I stay available to support the team and am always willing to jump in and get my hands dirty to help keep everything running smoothly.

From Cardboard to Competition: Build-A-Boat Challenge

Recently, the A.S. Marketing & Graphics team traded their usual creative projects for cardboard and duct tape when they took on the Build-A-Boat Team Challenge as part of this year’s SDSU Faculty & Staff Field Day on Friday, Aug. 7.

Consisting of full-time A.S. staff members Austin Huynh, Web Designer, Jose Delgado, Graphic Design Specialist, Lyubov Horne, Graphics Manager, Olivia Li, Marketing and Communications Manager, and Raquel Herriott, Associate Director of Marketing and Communication, the MG (Marketing & Graphics) Pirates competed against other SDSU departments to design and construct a boat using only cardboard and duct tape to float across the Aquaplex pool. Read below to learn more about their creative process!

Testing the Design

Before construction of the boat began, Austin and Jose tested a few different boat designs using regular printer paper, looking for the best design to successfully cross the Aquaplex pool.

Building the Boat

After receiving a few sheets of cardboard and a single roll of duct tape, the team began the process of building their boat in the Graphics office, ensuring the boat was well-constructed while most importantly, being able to float.

Final Touches

With race day approaching, the final touches of the boat were made, finishing the bow of the boat and sealing off the bottom with a layer of duct tape.

Race Day

Braving the August heat, the Student Union team came to the event to support the MG Pirates as they prepared to take on the competition.

Ready to Race

Right before the boat set sail, the team took one last photo with Austin as the MG Pirates’ captain and Jose and Lyubov helping lower the boat into the water.

At the Starting Line

The MG Pirates was one of 26 boats to compete in this year’s competition and competed in a heat against SDSU’s Center for Human Resources, Research Support Services, University Relations and Development and more.

Eva Deynata

1. What is your name, job title and major?

   My name is Eva Deynata. I am the Front Desk Office Assistant in the A.S. Business Office and a third-year psychology major with an emphasis in neuroscience!

2. Which A.S. department do you work in? Describe your job in 25 words or less.

   I work mainly for the Government Affairs Department, but my position interacts heavily with multiple other departments. My position serves as the first point of contact for students while supporting A.S. departments through administrative tasks, events and office assistance.

3. How long have you worked for A.S.?

   I’ve worked for A.S. for two years. I started as an Event Staff for the Viejas Arena and Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre. I stayed there for 1 ½ years before transferring to the A.S. Business Office, where I’ve been working since last summer.

4. What is your favorite about working for A.S.?

   My favorite thing about working for A.S. is definitely the different relationships you build around the office! I’ve met some of my best friends and mentors here and even had the opportunity to work alongside my older brother for a year.

5. What was the last movie you saw? Thumbs up or thumbs down?

   The last movie I saw was “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.” It was definitely a thumbs up, and not just because Tom Holland is my celebrity crush.

6. If you had to move to another country, which one would you choose? And why?

   If I had to move to another country, I would choose South Korea. I visited during spring break and it was amazing! The food was delicious, the people were so kind and the nightlife is very exciting!

7. Do you collect anything? What do you collect and why?

   I collect squishies, and it’s very serious. I’ve even become the unofficial squishies supplier for my coworkers in the office.

8. If you had to sing karaoke right now, which song would you pick? And why?

   If I had to sing karaoke right now, I would sing the entire “Hamilton” soundtrack – all 47 songs. I would sing this because I know all of the words, and it’s my favorite musical.

9. What’s the best concert you’ve been to and why was it so good?

   The best concert I’ve been to was the BTS concert this past May. The concert was so much fun and had my mom and I screaming the entire time. It was in Las Vegas and my mom and I turned it into a mini girls’ trip, so that entire weekend was definitely an awesome memory.

10. What does your perfect burger have on it?

    My perfect burger has a toasted brioche bun spread with ketchup and mayo, layered with a medium-rare patty, American cheese, whole grilled onions, pickles, tomatoes and lettuce — with truffle fries on the side, of course.

11. Would you rather speak all languages or be able to talk with animals? And why?

    I would rather be able to talk to animals because everyone already has the ability to study to learn all human languages, but no one is able to speak to animals yet. So technically, I could be able to do both.

12. If you could go back or forward in time, where would you go? And why?

    I would rather go forward in time to when I’m in my 60s and hopefully be retired so I can travel and take a break from my busy college schedule.

13. Which A.S. staff member has inspired/supported you the most? And how?

    The A.S. staff member who has inspired and supported me the most would be Polly Hill, last semester’s Front Desk Office Assistant Lead. Polly is someone I could go to for any work-related, academic or personal issue, and I cherish the friendship we have maintained even being 3,000 miles away from each other.

14. “Most people don’t know that I like to…”

    Most people don’t know that I like to play beach and indoor volleyball.

15. If you had one free hour each day, how would you use it?

    If I had one free hour each day, I would try to learn a new skill, such as crocheting or painting.