As summer winds down, San Diego State University students and faculty are preparing for the upcoming fall semester.

The new academic school year, which starts on Aug. 21, will feature many of the same amenities from previous years, as well as some exciting new additions to the campus.

One of the newest additions to the school is Ellen Ochoa Pavilion.

Previously named “West Commons,” the area pays tribute to Ochoa, who became the first Hispanic woman to visit space in 1993. The renaming ceremony for the La Mesa native and SDSU grad took place in early May.

Other SDSU developments include the donation of more than 20,000 Idea and Design Works (IDW) items to the school library, Shaun Cole’s new role as the men’s baseball head coach and Gregory L. Murphy’s inaugural year as the school’s Chief of Police.

The university will once again be hosting Aztec Nights, a wide array of late-night events taking place during the fall semester. SDSU Go!, a series of field trips, serves as another free resource for students to explore San Diego and meet their peers.

SDSU’s 2023-2024 academic year will also be notable for its sporting events.

Some of the biggest SDSU storylines in this past school year had to do with the success of the men’s basketball team, which played in the national championship and broke countless March Madness brackets. They will return with high expectations and a group of transfer students, including USC’s Reese Dixon-Waters and Campbell University’s Jay Pal.

SDSU excelled in other sports too, with a conference-leading six championships in 2022-2023.

While action on the field is sure to thrill students, many are excited for what their classes and extracurricular activities can offer.

One of the clubs on campus is KCR college radio, which offers students an opportunity to record podcasts, host radio shows and play music as a DJ.

Jimmy Falvey, a third-year marketing major, found that KCR gives students an outlet for their creativity and an opportunity to form lasting connections amidst his increased course load.

“I’m looking forward to seeing all my friends that I met last semester through KCR again,” Falvey said. “It’s been so long (since spring) and we didn’t have enough time last semester to bond. Also I’m starting my upper division classes. (It is) a welcome, but scary change.”

A newer, greener club is readying itself for its first full academic year. Save Soil, formed in 2022, seeks to inform the student population on sustainability and how to combat the national soil crisis.

Isabella Patel, a fourth-year accounting major at SDSU, was appointed to be Save Soil’s treasurer for the 2023-2024 school year. She has high hopes for the club and how it can spread its sustainability message.

“As for next year, we’re still in the process of planning, but we want to collaborate with a few organizations on campus, and from there, get more members and start promoting it,” Patel said.

Kelly Cutler, a fourth-year public relations major, is also entering her fourth — and final — year at SDSU.

As Cutler completes her bachelor’s degree, she is determined to make her college experience worthwhile.

“I feel like I’m going to be learning a lot of different things in my field that I’m really excited to learn more about,” Cutler said. “I really want to soak up everything I can before I leave.”

Photo credit: Natali Gonzalez