GOLDEN GATE XPRESS STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER PROUDLY SERVING THE SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SINCE 1927.
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VOLUME LXXXXIV ISSUE 5
Cinema professor Pat Jackson wins Emmy SEE PAGE
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Campus polling place makes timely return
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BY KEVIN SKAHAN | kskahan@mail.sfsu.edu
CONVENIENCE: It has been three years since SF State had its own polling place for student residents who are voting. This creates a more convenient way for residents to cast their votes. Photo by Jeff Sandstoe
Proposition 34 aims to end the death penalty in California BY CHARLOTTE BOUDESTEIJN | cboudest@mail.sfsu.edu
PART ONE IN A SERIES OF SIX STORIES EXAMINING CALIFORNIA’S PROPOSITIONS
More than 700 inmates are awaiting their sentences on death row in California. They have one cell each and a higher level of security than other inmates. Through the crimes they committed, their lives or deaths were put in the hands of others. If Proposition 34 passes, this will all change. It will repeal the death penalty and
Students First campaign strives to lessen financial burden BY JESSICA SCHIMM | jschimm@mail.sfsu.edu
replace it with life imprisonment without parole. The proposition will apply to convicts who are already on death row. Gil Garcetti, former Los Angeles District Attorney, is in support of the proposition, also known as the Savings, Accountability and Full Enforcement for California Act. “I used to believe in the
death penalty, but I changed my opinion,” he said. “It is a waste of money when nobody is being executed. The death penalty system is something that we can’t fix. There are not enough lawyers and judges. Even if the commission adds more, it will cost more to try and fix the system SEE VOTERS ON PAGE 6
Additional funding for a college student can mean the difference between focusing on academics and procuring financial security by means of extra work. The Students First campaign is trying to lessen the financial burden for students by providing scholarships made up from private donations. Robert Nava, vice president for University advancement, said the campaign is designed to help generate funds and also added that those with financial need make up most of SF State’s student base. Chris Quock, who received a presidential scholarship at SF State back in 2004, knows firsthand the benefits of extra financial aid. “If I had to worry about money issues, it
OR FRESHMAN JASmine Ponce de Leon, this presidential election is a big deal. Not only will it be her first time voting, but her father’s as well. Ponce de Leon, who lives on campus, originally planned on making the six-hour trek home to Carson, Calif. to vote because she was confused about where she could vote in San Francisco. Now she doesn’t have to. For the first time in three years, SF State will have a polling place on site so students who live on campus, like Ponce de Leon, can cast their ballots without having to go out of their way. “That makes life so much easier,” Ponce de Leon said. This would have been the first presidential election without a polling place at the University, according to Paul Murre, president of the California College Democrats. The San Francisco Department of Elections originally decided to move the polling place to Temple Baptist Church on 19th Avenue because the department had problems finding a reliable campus location in the past, department spokesman Evan Kirk said. “We inform voters of their polling place location about a month before Election Day, and while some cancellations or relocations are unavoidable, our past experience included elections where SF State staff attempted to switch locations on the day before the election without any prior notice to the department,” Kirk said. Shawn Whalen, SF State’s deputy chief of staff in the Office of the President said that the Department of Elections never communicated concerns firsthand about the University switching the polling place’s location without notice. The University’s Office of Government and Community Relations first heard back in August that the Department of Elections planned on moving the polling place off campus and brought the matter to the Office of the President’s attention. “We just wanted to make sure we could do anything we could to get a polling place on campus,” Whalen said. SEE CAMPUS ON PAGE 7
would’ve made it (school) a lot more stressful,” said 26-year-old Quock, who is majoring in ecology and systematic biology. The goal of the project is to provide as many scholarships as possible for students in the next two years with Nava’s new Students First Campaign. To combat escalating tuition costs, the campaign aims to raise funds from private donors in order to help fund students, Nava said. “It was developed to generate private support,” he said. “It’s philanthropy basically to help augment our school through scholarships.” The campaign has collected nearly $5 million SEE PROGRAM ON PAGE 3
2 CAMPUS SF STATE SPEAKS OUT WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO MAKE YOU VOTE AND CARE ABOUT THE NEXT ELECTION?
SHANNON MCORMACK, 21 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS MAJOR I’m an IR major so I will vote. But have more information that affects students in your face.
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Program to assist stressed staff BY ERIN DAGE | erindage@mail.sfsu.edu
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OME OCT. 1, MORE THAN 3,000 overwhelmed SF State staff members will receieve a helping hand to alleviate the pressure. The Employee Assistance Program — organized by human resources, counseling and psychological services departments and hosted by employee support company Empathia Pacific, Inc. — will provide free aid to faculty and staff at SF State. Services such as pet care, child and elder care, financial and legal aid, training, self-development, coaching and short-term counseling will be available for those who want it. “The need for a program became apparent during the 2007-09 recessionary period where we began to see the effects of the local economy and its impact on our employees,” said Lori Gentles, associate vice president of human resources and safety and risk management. According to statistics by Empathia Pacific, an estimated 12 to 18 percent of employees experience personal problems that affect them at home or work. Empathia Pacific notes that stress is a major factor that drives people to seek out help, with 35 percent of recipients experiencing high levels of stress. There are other factors that make a person decide to use the services. According to Empathia Pacific, 28 percent of people come in because of relationship problems, 26 percent for work and life balance problems, 7 percent because of a workplace issue and 6 percent because of high-risk behaviors. Gentles believes University employees deserve the right to free resources that can improve home life, work life and overall productivity.
“The EAP is a comprehensive resource that faculty, staff and members of their household can utilize to address a whole array of personal and professional issues impacting their lives,” Gentles said. “The belief is that employees are better able to manage stressors (if) they are happier, healthier and more productive at work.” The University needed an EAP over a year ago, according to Gentles. Several other California State University campuses, such as Sacramento State and Fresno State, have employee assistance programs. Venice Adams, facilities coordinator for campus recreation, believes that the EAP is a good service for faculty and staff, but is indifferent as to how services may affect the workplace environment. “I think that it’s a helpful program for staff, and I think it’s great that it’s available,” Adams said. “I think the EAP helps on a personal basis, but it just depends on how it will affect the campus.” Madeline Dito, a sophomore studying apparel design and merchandising, is conflicted about the program. “I don’t think an employee assistance program is completely necessary, but it’s not bad for staff to have benefits like that,” Dito said. Gentles has faith in the program and what it may do for University faculty and staff, and sees EAP as a means of prevention for home and workplace problems that can affect the work environment at school. “This really is a positive program to help intervene and prevent issues from spiraling out of control,” Gentles said. “If you have relational, alcohol dependency, legal or other stressful issues occurring in your life, EAP resources is a great place to begin to get help. The University cares about its employees and this is an investment for the health and welfare of faculty and staff.”
Urban planning study looks to reduce emissions, sprawl BY VIKRAM SINGH | vpsingh@mail.sfsu.edu
SHAWN McGRIFF, 23
LIBERAL STUDIES MAJOR I’m tired of hearing only about the president. There is so much more to the ballot.
TOMMY SCULLY, 20
BROADCAST AND ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION ARTS MAJOR I haven’t voted. I’ve signed up for online mailing but haven’t. It’s a convenience issue.
There’s more to this green revolution than just reuse, reduce and recycle. The effort to conserve the planet will have to include changing the ways in which people get where they need to go. A new behavioral economics study out of SF State shows how “smart” urban growth can contribute to a reduction in vehicle emissions. Smart growth is the theory that concentrated growth in the middle of a city avoids urban sprawl. GREENING: Smart growth could enable 20 percent de“The results of the study are exciting crease in traveling time. Photo by Alejandria Hernandez because it confirms what a lot of smart growth theorists have argued since the ‘70s — that people will drive less if urban Professor Sudip Chattopadhyay, ecocenters are more ‘compact’ and destinations nomics department chair, whose study was are more easily and affordably reached withpublished in “The B.E. Journal of Economic out a car,” said Emily Ward, a master’s stuAnalysis & Policy,” believes urban design dent at SF State who worked on the project. solutions create greener, more compact cities. By planning urban spaces with smart “Transportation is an issue in California growth plans, each household could travel that contributes to about 38 to 40 percent 4,400 miles less each year. The study shows of energy consumption and greenhouse gas that a 10 percent increase in smart growth may emissions,” Chattopadhyay said. allow each house to travel 20 percent less. San Francisco has many green features “When people have been driving an with its high-density housing and ample pubhour each way to and from work, they may lic transit, but the city and surrounding areas realize the time cost that they are paying for have plenty of room for smart development. living in the sprawl areas, but they may not “If cities like Sacramento, Bakersfield be able to afford to live closer,” Ward said. and Modesto all had smart growth features
CRIME BLOTTER
that have been used in San Francisco or Los Angeles, then we would find a 55 percent reduction in terms of vehicle miles traveled,” Chattopadhyay said. He feels the findings from the study are in line with California’s current green policies, such as Assembly Bill 32, which aims to reduce a certain amount of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, and State Bill 375, a piece of anti-urban sprawl legislation. Many countries are trying to offset carbon debt with taxes, but Chattopadhyay feels smart growth is a more permanent solution. “A tax is not politically expedient and can be short lived. It doesn’t generate employment,” Chattopadhyay said. Hsiao-Yun Chu, an associate professor in the department of design and industry, understands that urban design is not the leading or most popular solution of the green revolution. “Rather than waiting around for scientists to create some new energy source or for urban planners to design the ideal city, we all have the power right now to make smarter choices in where we live, the type of car we drive, what we buy, and how we use energy and water within the home,” she said. By proving on paper that urban design can cut down car emissions, these researchers have paved the way for the future city architects to pitch and build greener solutions.
Comedic interpretations of criminal events at or near SF State
Reporting by Brad Wilson
09.19 through 09.25
Punk in Drublic SHAKA HOODS, 32
HOLISTIC MEDICINE MAJOR Abolish the electoral college. I don’t know who these people are and how they got here. Photos by: Virginia Tieman Reporting by: Brad Wilson
There were reports Sept. 21 of an intoxicated subject at Parkmerced sports bar Park 77. Officers responded and took the subject into custody for public intoxication. Riddle us this: How does one get a drunk in public citation at a bar? Was the subject Charlie Sheening too hard for the bartender to handle or singing “Call Me Maybe” too loud while humping the juke box? Technically, everyone at Park 77 Sports Bar should have been cited, being as bars are public places and it’s fairly difficult to find a person in a bar who just appreciates the interior design.
Lost Phone and Owner Reunite Officers responded to reports of a lost phone between 11:30 and 11:41 a.m. at the J. Paul Leonard Library Sept. 20. After hiring a team of private investigators and contacting Dateline NBC’s Chris Hansen (Why don’t you take a seat?), the officers at long last found the lost product and reunited it with its true owner. Maybe don’t leave your phone on the seat next to you while you’re pretending to study and instead keep your phone safely stowed away? That way, you won’t lose your phone and you can pay more attention to your homework.
What’s App With That?
There were reports of a stolen iPad tablet at Thornton Hall Sept. 21. The tablet was recovered by a suspect allegedly involved with the theft and it was returned to the owner. Be sure to look for the suspect’s new upcoming book co-authored by OJ Simpson, “I didn’t steal your iPad, but if I did, this is how I would have done it” featuring exquisite details on how to properly steal an iPad and get away with it by hiring Johnnie Cochran. As Chris Rock said, “It’s better to look guilty at the mall, then innocent in jail.”
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CAMPUS 3
Program encourages alumni connections CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
since 2011 and there is a goal of reaching $12 million in a two-year span ending December 2014. Donations received in the campaign thus far have come from alumni, parents, professors and nonprofits. Companies such as the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation; Genentech Foundation for Biomedical Sciences and Follett Higher Education Group, which also manages the campus Bookstore, have all donated. “The funds are applied the way the donor intended. A hundred percent of the gift goes to the scholarship. There is no administrative fee,” Nava said, explaining that no third party takes a portion of the scholarship. There are two kinds of donations the people can make — gifts and endowments. Gifts are immediate and are given away on a one-time basis, while endowments are large donations placed in the stock market with small portions of the amount distributed every year to qualified students. University President Leslie E. Wong and his wife have established their own endowment and have made it clear that they want supplemental fundraising for students, according to Nava. “(He has) sent a wonderful message to the community and I think it’s a good message for other campus leaders as well,” Nava said. A big part of the campaign strategy is to get alumni highly involved by “connecting or reconnecting (them) back to the University.” The campaign will provide immediate scholarship funds, but is also part of an even larger plan. Nava states that this program is actually the foundation for a bigger, even more comprehensive campaign that is expected to pull in a range of $150 to $200 million. It will also attempt to get alumni more involved and connected to the school with the idea that they will make additional donations as a result. Private schools receive a larger proportion of donations from alumni than their public counterparts, Nava said, citing University of Southern California and Harvard University as examples.
Building greater connections with alumni has led to increased capital for other California State University systems. According to Cal State Fullerton’s University of Advancement website, the alumni association grew 10 percent, leading to a direct increase in the alumni scholarship. San Diego State received $71.5 million in donations in the year 2011-12, with more than 38,000 donors contributing to the campaign and $40 million going toward student scholarships and 16 percent of alumni making donations. In comparison, since the Students First student support campaign began in January, almost $5 million has been taken in from donors ranging from parents to alumni to philanthropic organizations. The official news release states that donations will go toward “merit- and need-based scholarships, graduate fellowships and student awards.” Austin Stanley, a broadcast and electronic communication arts major, is unclear on the merit qualification. “I’m fine with someone getting helped by donors if they really need it, but merit is too general of a term,” Stanley, 21, said. “Yeah, I mean I could also see it being dean’s list students or ones who reach a set GPA. I feel like they would want or have to advertise that so it could help explain why some people are getting help and others aren’t. Unless the students aren’t aware that they are receiving the money and it just gets factored into other financial aid without them knowing.” Kayla Douglas, 21-year-old health major, said she is OK with receiving donations for funds, even though she knows some are skeptical about receiving money from private donors, because it is not always clear on how they got the donations. “But it’s one step better than where we were at,” Douglas added. Nava said he also thinks the University needs to do a better job of getting that information out to students. “We want students to be successful. We want to generate money,” Nava said.
SCHOLARLY: Nicole Morales-Lum, 20, is one of the students vying for a scholarship in the Students First campaign, a scholarship fund that assists those in need of financial aid. Photo by Virginia Tieman
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PREVENTION: Participants of the 9th annual Out of the Darkness Community Walks marched to benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Sept. 23 at Lake Merced. Approximately 1,000 people gathered at the walk. According to SF State, suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students. Those contemplating suicide require special attention and care. Photo by Jessica Worthington
SF spreads suicide awareness for students As California university campuses work to prevent college student suicides, family and friends gathered at Lake Merced to remember those who committed suicide at the Out of the Darkness Community Walks
LISTEN UP: Take any warning
seriously. Up to 75 percent of all suicide victims give some warning of their intentions to friends or family. Do not argue someone out of suicide. Let them know that you care and that they are not alone. Depression can be treated.
SPEAK OUT: Make yourself
actively involved. Encourage the person to see a mental health professional immediately. You may need to take them to treatment, as individuals contemplating suicide often don’t believe they can be helped.
What to do if a friend needs help STAY CLOSE: If a friend or
loved one is threatening, talking about or making plans for suicide, do not leave the person alone. Remove any firearms, drugs or sharp objects that could be used for suicide.
SEEK HELP: If a psychiatric
facility is unavailable, go to your nearest hospital or clinic. Call 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK
BY ALEX EMSLIE | aemslie@mail.sfsu.edu
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ATALIE MEANY CHEERfully cracked jokes and bantered with the rest of her team, Team Mean, at the 9th annual Out of the Darkness Community Walks Sept. 23 to support the American Foundation for Suicide
Prevention. “There’s no crying here,” the SF State communications major said, smiling. “I formed this team — I did it for closure. After my father’s suicide, I got OK with it enough to do this.” Meany said her father died in 2008. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for college students, after accidents, UCSF psychologist James Lyda said. He explained a new Interactive Screening Program initiated at UCSF in April and recently implemented at all University of California campuses. Confidentiality is a hurdle that can keep many people from seeking help for depression, Lyda said, and ISP “harnesses the anonymity of the internet” to reach out to at-risk students. “We want to get to students who fall through the cracks,” he said. ISP works by surveying all incoming students to a university, identifying those who may be depressed or suicidal, and then reaching out to those students through a school’s counseling department. The entire process is anonymous until students decide to reach out to counselors themselves. The program is already working. Lyda told the story of a UC student who received an invitation to take the survey when it was first unveiled in April. The student was considering taking her own life, but she was put in touch with counselors, got treatment and is now no longer suicidal. SF State is a recipient of the same Student Mental Health Initiative Grant that funded ISP at UCSF, Lyda said, and the University may implement the program. The 15-member Team Mean raised about $4,000 for AFSP before the walk Sept. 23, and Meany’s sister, Megan, was the most successful fundraiser of the group, collecting $1,560 through a social media campaign. At the end of the walk, total donations reached $91,572. “Last night, I had a girl who I hadn’t talked to
since elementary school come to my house and give me $100,” Meany said. “She said, ‘Now you reached your goal,’ and then she left.” That kind of community support is a big deal for the approximately 1,000 people gathered at the walk. The Greater San Francisco Bay Area chapter of AFSP has been fighting the stigma of mental illness and suicide since it was founded in 2004 and held its first Out of the Darkness Community Walks. “I’m not sure why there is such a stigma,” said Valerie Kovacovich, area director for the AFSP Bay Area chapter. “There’s a lot of shame associated with mental health issues, but when I tell people that I work with suicide prevention, it’s such a high percentage of people who say ‘Oh my God, I know someone who has committed suicide.’” About 100 San Francisco residents take their own lives each year, according to the city’s medical examiner, and suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students, according to SF State. “Every 15 minutes, someone passes away from suicide,” said Blake Simons, an intern at AFSP and a UC Berkeley political science, American studies and business major. Simons said his best friend committed suicide about a year ago, and he struggles with depression, “but you wouldn’t know that unless I told you,” he said. “These issues can affect anyone.” Research by the American Association of Suicidology suggests that every suicide or suicide attempt impacts at least six other people. Many participants in the Out of Darkness CommunityWalks, grouped into teams from ranging in size from small families to groups of half a dozen or more, wore the images of loved ones lost to suicide with messages like “dearly beloved,” or “in remembrance.” “Through more advocacy and more awareness, we can change the statistics,” Simons said. For students concerned about a friend who may be depressed, Lyda offered some advice. “Talk to that friend and listen,” he said. “Beyond that, almost every university has a counseling service not only for students who need help but also for those who want to help other students. They can tell you what to say and how to approach it. It’s not something that anybody should have to do alone.”
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THE INS & OUTS A WEEKLY SEX COLUMN BY CASSIE BECKER cassbeck@mail.sfsu.edu
Women not so picky when sex is icky
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Think of the nastiest, most deplorable and depraved thing think it’s possible that sexual arousal can raise the tolerance you’ve ever done in the bedroom. Turns out your partner of a variety of things.” might have thought it wasn’t that nasty after all. Keep in mind, skirt chasers, that this doesn’t mean all College-aged women were more likely to ignore disgustwomen are going to be willing to get into bed with the ing or repulsive activities when sexually aroused, according intention of doing something they would normally consider to Charmaine Borg and Peter J. de Jong, researchers at the repulsive. If you like gross stuff, you’re just going to have to University of Groningen in the Netherlands. find yourself a girl who enjoys the gross stuff. However, once That’s right. Getting horny can make you ignore the ick women are sexually aroused, it’s likely that they will ignore factor. their usual repulsion. “Saliva, sweat, semen and body odors are among the Think about it in terms of performing oral sex on somestrongest disgust elicitors. This results in the intriguing ques- one. You know that — no matter what your partner has betion of how people succeed in having pleasurable sex at all,” tween their legs — that it’s got some bodily secretions on it. the findings, published in the peer-reviewed and open access Precum, vaginal lubrication and sweat are the usual frontrunjournal “PLOS ONE,” said. ners, meaning that it’s going to have a specific, and maybe Here’s how the study worked: 90 heterosexual female unappealing, taste. Rationally, in your current unaroused students with an average age of 23 state, you’re probably a bit grossed were selected from the University of out right now. But we both know that Groningen and were split into three you’ve gone down on someone — and groups. The first group watched a you probably liked it. Since breaking up with her inner prude, Cassie Becker has 35-minute “female-friendly erotica” But an obvious problem arises done it all. Her interest in sexual film intended to arouse, the second when you’re not sexually aroused and exploration has led her to write group a video of extreme sports intendrepulsed, the study mentioned. several blogs and break even ed to nonsexually arouse, and the third “Perhaps most important for the more beds. She’s extensively a video of scenic train ride meant to present context, the findings indicate researched and written about it elicit a neutral response. that both the impact of heightened — all with a sexy smile. Every five minutes during the film, sexual arousal on subjective disgust the women were given a disgusting and also on disgust-induced avoidtask to perform falling into one of four ance will act in a way to facilitate the categories of disgust ranging from luengagement in pleasurable sex and can bricating a vibrator to drinking liquid out of a cup with a fake be problematic if one of the two is not influenced or modified insect floating in it. Participants were allowed to opt out of by sexual arousal.” completing a task if they found it too disgusting to perform. Still, Chen warns people to be cautious. Women in the arousal group were more likely to com“I think that it’s a good idea for people to define their plete the tasks than the other groups and less likely to feel boundaries while they are clothed, sober and not yet aroused. disgusted when performing them, the researchers found. While a man or woman may participate in something that Ivy Chen, sex and relationships lecturer at SF State, would normally disgust them while aroused, they may regret admitted she hadn’t heard about this study before and was it afterwards,” she said. “Some people get swept up in the curious about the researchers’ definition of repulsive. moment while aroused and therefore more willing to do “What may be thought of as repulsive by one person may ‘disgusting’ things. Some people may participate to please be thought of as acceptable or sexy by another,” Chen said. their partner if their partner really wants to try something. “What I do know is that sexual arousal raises the pain thresh- However, it’s important that partners discuss their values and old, so that you can withstand more pain when turned on. I comfort level with any activity before the clothes come off.”
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Voters have control over prisoners’ futures If passed, Proposition 34 will eliminate the death penalty and the maximum punishment will be life in prison without parole
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More than 800 people took a poll about how they would vote in the upcoming election regarding Prop. 34. Source: California Business Round Table
than to get rid of it. It’ll still be a minimum of 15 years before a sentence is carried out.” He also believes that out of the inmates currently on death row, at least one or two of them are innocent. He makes this conclusion based on the proven innocence of Franky Carrillo, who wasn’t on death row but had to spend 20 years in prison. He was released earlier this year. Carrillo was charged with murder when he was 16 years old. Recently, all six witnesses admitted that they could not recognize the shooter. They claimed police officers influenced them to identify Carrillo as the perpetrator. Kent Scheidegger, director of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation in Sacramento, thinks the doubts about Carrillo’s guilt don’t apply to the discussion about the death penalty. Carrillo wasn’t convicted in the capital punishment system. He wasn’t sent to death row. “There are thousands of judgments in California and they cannot fight a single one. Not one out of thousand. The system has enough safe guards so the chances of executing an innocent person are extremely reluctant,” he said. Scheidegger is going to vote no in November. He believes that in cases such as The Night Stalker and Charles Manson, death is the punishment and any less is inadequate. “Voters should take into consideration that the worst of the worst murderers are the people that are sentenced to death. We can carry it out, we know how to do it. We know which reforms are needed and those reforms are being made,” he said. Thirteen executions have taken place since the death penalty was reinstated back in 1978, according to the 2011 study “Executing The Will Of Voters?” published in the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review. Since the reinstatement, taxpayers have spent more that $4 billion on capitol punishment. Prop. 34 states that California will save $130 million each year if the death penalty is replaced. Supporters also claim that a county pays 20 times more for a death penalty sentence than for a trial for life without the possibility of parole. Daisy Vieyra, a spokeswoman for SAFE, is a recent graduate and understands that voting on Prop. 34 can be hard for students. “We are young and we live in our own world. We have our mid-terms, our jobs. But it’s good to keep in mind that 56 percent of all murders and 46 percent of all rape cases reported go unsolved because it takes too long to process the evidence. If we could
process this more quickly, we would be able to catch them,” she said. Vieyra also said that we live in a state where the financial system is not working. “It’s not a healthy thing, our broken death penalty. The last execution was in 2006. Only 13 people have been executed. We have the longest death row, even the one in Texas is shorter. More people die of old age, natural causes or suicide than of execution,” she said. “Out of the 729 people currently on death row, maybe 13 are eligible to be executed. They have used up all of their appeals.” Ricki Stevé, an 18-year-old at SF State student, said she would say yes to the replacement of death penalty by life sentence. She is Christian and sees killing as the act of sin. “Yes, murder itself is a sin, but it doesn’t make it right for you to sin against the sinner,” Stevé, an undeclared major, said. “In other words: If you killed someone, I should kill you?” Melissa Covert, also an undeclared major, intends to vote no on Prop. 34. “In my opinion, it’s a waste of money to keep someone in prison when there is no chance of them getting out,” Covert, 18, said, “I mean, in a perfect world I don’t think people should be killed to prove a point or punish them. But there are so many other aspects such as money and the overcrowding that I think it’s the best option,” she said. One of the goals of Prop. 34 is that prisoners who are found guilty must work during their sentences. Their earnings will go to any victim rehabilitation or to fines or orders against them. In addition, there will be a $100 million general money fund created from what is saved. It will be distributed to law enforcement agencies to help solve homicide and rape cases. “Some of the victims want the death penalty to continue and that’s understandable. They want justice. But the prisoners on death row right now have a cell to themselves, they have a television and they can work out in the yard,” Vieyra said. During the month of September, the California Business Roundtable did a survey using persons of diverse education levels and geography in an attempt to predetermine the outcome of Prop. 34. The survey stated that 42.5 percent would vote yes, whereas 50.5 percent would vote no. The true answer will come this November.
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Campus voting place back after group effort CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
REGISTER: Paul Murre, right, contacted officials to have the polling place reinstated to SF State from the Temple Baptist Church. Photo by Godofredo Vasquez
Jared Giarrusso, associate director of the Office of Government and Community Relations, said that the Department of Elections wasn’t willing to push for an on-campus polling location. University administrators and Associated Students, Inc. contacted San Francisco supervisors who spoke to the department on SF State’s behalf. University President Leslie E. Wong wrote Mayor Ed Lee a letter trying to encourage him to get the Department of Elections to change its mind about the polling place’s location, Whalen said. Whalen contacted Supervisor Eric Mar, former Asian-American Studies lecturer at SF State, and Sen. Leland Yee. Various University clubs and students also contacted Mar’s office when they found out there wasn’t going to be a voting place on campus, said Peter Lauterborn, Mar’s legislative aide. Mar voiced his concerns with the Department of Elections and within a week, the parties had worked out a way to get a polling place reinstated on campus. “SF State is now working with us on the necessary
details of establishing a polling place on campus and we hope to maintain a positive and ongoing relationship with them,” Kirk said. Murre was among the students to contact SF State’s Office of Government and Community Relations as well as Mar. He felt it was important to get involved because he was concerned that not having an on-campus polling place would disenfranchise student voters, who are most likely voting for the first time. “This election is critically important for young people. Our future is on the line,” Murre, 21, said. Murre, a political science major, wanted to make sure voting could be as easy as possible for student residents since there are many important decisions on this year’s ballot, like Proposition 30. If Prop. 30 fails, a $250 million trigger cut to the CSU system will go into effect, which the CSU Board of Trustees will attempt to offset with a 5 percent tuition increase. Like Ponce de Leon, other first-time voters who call SF State home are happy they can cast their ballots on campus in the general election.
“It makes the whole process a lot faster,” said freshman Collin Mori, who plans to major in business marketing. While most freshmen seemed to appreciate the convenience of being able to vote at school, other students said they were not planning on voting because they were not sure how the election is going to affect them. “That stuff doesn’t interest me,” marine biology major Crystal Kobierski said. But Ponce de Leon knows how important this election is. Ponce de Leon’s parents, who are originally from Mexico, don’t have the opportunity to vote because they are still in the process of getting U.S. citizenship. Her father recently obtained his citizenship so he will be able to vote for the first time in the U.S. with his daughter. “You are given this gift that we don’t have, so you should do it,” Ponce de Leon said her mother would say. The proposed location for the polling place is the Presidio/Richmond Room inside the Towers Conference Center, according to Kirk. Check the SF elections website in October to find polling places by residence.
8 CITY
09.26.12 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
Exhibitionists, voyeurs flock to fetish-themed fair
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BY ELLIE LOARCA | emloarca@mail.sfsu.edu
sweet and honest. He’s a nerd who plays World ALL GAGS, HARNESSES of Warcraft, but he ties some mean rope knots. and cock rings, oh my! In It’s an art, really.” San Francisco, it’s no new The Folsom Street Fair is the third-largest thing to let the freak flag outdoor event in California and the largest free fly, but at Folsom Street event geared toward the BDSM community. Fair, this flag was made of This San Francisco event donates all proceeds to leather and studs. a number of charities working in public health, Upon arrival it was human services and the arts. Last year, Folsom hard to look away. Everyone who was anyone was events contributed more than $330,000 to charities dressed up, and it was no time to be shy. It was in need. clear that this fair was all about pure freedom of This event featured more than 250 exhibitors expression, especially if it had to do with bondand vendors, ranging from fetish wear to full-on age, domination, sadism and masochism. BDSM shows. Molly Von, a 22-year-old first-timer at the Liam Snyder was working the Utilikilt sales Folsom event, styled her hair in long red ponytails stand. He explained the liberating feeling of and sported heart-shaped pasties with a pink tutu. being a man in a kilt. “I have never seen so much old man dick, but “The kilt is about freedom. It’s a lifestyle you I respect the confidence it takes to be nude,” Von are buying into,” Snyder said. “Our usual cussaid. “I love that this is more about being comforttomers tend to be ‘bears,’ because the kilt is a real able with yourself. That’s the thing about SF — sign of masculinity. The only requirement to wear anything goes.” one of these is balls, metaphorically speaking.” Full-frontal exposure was the norm in this At the Society of Janus, the sounds of whipsexy, leather wonderland and there was plenty PLEASURE MEETS PAIN: Chris, left, uses a claw on his partner Kristina’s nipple at the ping and moaning were overwhelming. SOJ is a more to see when it came to getting really kinky. 29th annual Folsom Street Fair. The two were first-time visitors to the fair, an event dedinonprofit organization devoted to educating the Porn star Nick Moretti was working the fair and cated to BDSM and leather culture in San Francisco. Photo by Jessica Worthington community about safe and consensual BDSM. hand out autographed nude photos of himself. He “When you go home tonight and tell everyone explained how he got into fetish porn for Kink.com. you were too embarrassed to be flogged, you need “When I first started I was pretty vanilla, until one day I was an extra at a shoot, then to tell yourself I was too embarrassed to explore my own sexuality,” a volunteer yelled something came over me and I couldn’t resist the bondage,” Moretti said. into a microphone to someone who refused a free spanking. Vanilla is a term used by the BDSM community to refer to those who are not into Michelle Foley, a second-year volunteer and 10-year San Francisco resident admitBDSM. ted that she is here purely to support the community. “Once you find something that sparks your interest, you get really into it. It doesn’t “I normally wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t a volunteer. I have many friends in the comhave to be about sex,” Moretti said. Referring to his friend, Moretti said, “I mean, look at this guy, he looks innocent and munity and it feels great to be here and support them,” Foley said.
GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
| 09.26.12
CITY 9
Folsom Street Fair dominates San Francisco’s kinky scene
SUSPENSION: Frey hangs upside down with her limbs bound together. This type of bondage play requires a high level of skill in order to properly tie ropes without causing injury to the participant. Photo by Jessica Worthington
CLASSY MISTRESS: Performance artist Liliane Hunt, dressed in Victorian-inspired clothing, was accompanied by several people dressed in latex as horses. Photo by Jessica Worthington
NAUGHTY BOYS: (Above) A man is flogged onstage with plenty of spectators to witness in an exhbitionist display. (Below) Four hundred thousand people attended this year’s Folsom Street Fair, a 13-block playplace devoted to BDSM and kink culture in San Francisco that marks the end of the city’s Leather Week. Photos by Jessica Worthington
10 A R T S A N D E N T E R T A I N M E N T
The Fashion Blueprint Fashion connoisseur Bryan Vo outlines ways to avoid the fashion walk of shame. It’s true, you are what you wear and for him, every day is a runway.
BY BRYAN VO | bryanvo@mail.sfsu.edu
Watches strike statements with fashionable men
Music amplifies students’ dorm experience Musicians practice their passions various ways in campus housing while managing University regulations
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HE TICKING OF A SECOND hand through a chronograph face is a reflection of the modern man. As collectible works of art, watches with 24-hour and date subdials pair well with business and dressy looks, while leather strapped watches can be worn with casual wear according to Kim La, Nordstrom watch sales representative. “Watches come in different materials and certain colors for men and women,” La said. She explained that most high-quality watch bands are made of genuine leather or silicon whereas watch bracelets come in stainless steel or resin. Many come with watch cases made of stainless steel or alloy. See — women aren’t the only ones swimming with variety in the accessories department. As a personal adornment that’s much appreciated, a watch is a striking feature that could bring stars to a woman’s eye — gliding her hands down your arms to the wrist. It’s a chick magnet. “A strong statement piece like the watch is all a person needs really,” La said. “It can be a bit pricey but customers still fork out money regardless.” All right guys, time to hit the ATM and use some of that financial aid. According to Swiss Watch Industry, exports on watches were in total nearly 19.3 billion francs — $20.6 billion — in 2011 and Swiss Watch manufacturers exceeded their previous annual result by 19.2 percent. Steel watches accounted for more than one in two timepieces exported, increasing the steel watch volume by 15.4 million units in 2011. Men, it’s time to step up your game and get in on the watch hysteria. Any look that you can throw on, from a white crewneck T-shirt to a herringbone suit, will benefit from a simple accessory. Watches are in tune with fashion. “I’m not that fashionable, but I definitely keep a watch on to have some class,” said Josh Nuqui, a physiology major. “I admire guys who can rock watches that are blingin’ because that’s too much for me.” Just like a rhythm that needs a melody, a clean dress shirt needs the complement of a watch that’s powered by springs. “If I could, I would wear accessories more because apparently the girls seem to like it,” Nuqui said. “There are so many to choose from, but I usually wear rubber digital watches.” Take my advice: the timepiece is timeless.
09.26.12 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
BY MATT SAINCOME | saincome@mail.sfsu.edu
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NOISE COMPLAINT: George Carpenter, undeclared freshman, explores his options with his musical opportunities in his first year. He currently practices in his dorm room despite on-campus housing rules that prohibit the use of amplifiers. Photo by John Ornelas
HE CRAMPED CONFINES OF HIS DORM room may stifle many things for George Carpenter, but artistic expression is not one of them. With his amplifier turned to a moderate volume, Carpenter sits on top of his two-speaker combo strumming his Fender Mustang. The clank of his guitar pick and the buzzing strings over the fretboard can be heard through the electric signal distorted by the magnified sound. While the SF State campus housing agreement states that no amplifiers are allowed inside the dorms, many guitar enthusiasts, including Carpenter, still use them. “I can turn the volume down, but I can’t stop playing,” the undeclared freshman said. The SF State Community Living Guide states, “The buildings operate under 24-Hour ‘Courtesy Hours,’ meaning ... the right to quiet supersedes the right to make noise.” Alex Petralia, a business marketing major, recalled his freshman year living on campus and his different experiences playing music in the dorms. “I had a practice with a side project in The Towers (at Centennial Square) once, took about 20 minutes until the (resident assistant) came,” Petralia, 22, said. “I ended up having a practice for another band on a different floor and the RA came again, but this time to watch and hang out. It really depends who you’re around.” According to Carpenter, his roommate has no problem with the noise because he plays guitar as well — and much more skillfully, he added. Music, particularly guitars, are a part of the culture of University dorm rooms. Many students come to the dorms with a guitar already, whether acoustic or electric. The instrument is extremely popular among college students, according to Petralia. “You didn’t even have to be a musician,” he said. “I knew of guys that had guitars in their room, couldn’t tell you what string was which, but insisted that it helped their chances of getting laid.” Nick Stevenson, 21, a philosophy junior, also used to play his guitar while living in the dorms. But even more than that, he used a room on campus to practice with his full band. “My band, Happy, used to practice in the piano room in Mary Park Hall during the weeknights and weekends,” Stevenson said. The opportunity allowed the band to polish its talents for free instead of being forced to rent out a practice space like other local bands in the city. Matthew Hansen, 21, a junior who lived in the dorms his
freshman year, used his acoustic guitar to practice for his band. He recalled the only time he bothered anyone with his music was actually not from the volume of his guitar. “It was only when I started tapping my foot along to the music while practicing that the students living directly down a floor came up to knock on my door,” Hansen said. “They were perplexed as to where the sound came from; they joked that they thought a ghost was haunting their room, making a loud tapping noise overhead. I apologized for making the noise and promised to control my foot-tapping while playing guitar,” he said. It’s not just guitars that people are playing in the dorms. Kylie Martinez, a senior living in The Village at Centennial Square practices her trombone in her dorm. She has never had anyone complain, mostly plays when her roommate is out and about and wants to apologize to those who live underneath her. “My roommate is actually an RA and she told me it’s not a good idea, but no one has ever complained about it,” the 22-yearold liberal studies major said. Housing administration and RAs were unwilling to provide statistics on how many disciplinary actions are music-related noise complaints. University musicians who don’t want to skirt the rules have other options — especially those who wish to have real band practices with a full drum kit. Students enrolled in a music class can use one of the free practice spaces available in the Creative Arts Building. If faced with write-ups, Martinez said that’s the way she would go. Bands can rent out units throughout the city, oftentimes sharing a single room with several other bands to cut down on the price of monthly rent. Price ranges depend on how many bands share the space, so it’s unpredictable. For those on a budget there are establishments such as Plug N Play Club in the Tenderloin. Complete with amps, drum kits, PAs and multiple microphones, a band can walk in with guitars in hand and play for almost three hours for $25. Carpenter’s band is currently back in Orange County, his hometown, so he doesn’t have full band practices in his dorm, but is actively looking to find people to jam with on campus. Even in the face of disciplinary action, it’s unlikely musicians will ever stop playing their instruments. Carpenter just received a warning from the RA on his floor to stop using his amplifier last week, but for him playing guitar isn’t an option — it’s a part of who he is. “Nothing is really going to stop me from playing. I’m just going to have be a little more cautious,” Carpenter said.
A RTS A N D EN T ERTA I N M EN T CALENDAR
FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG “The Teenage Dance Craze” Sept. 28 10 p.m. $4 The Knockout 21 and up
Balboa Skate Park Grand Opening! Sept. 29 Noon – 5 p.m. FREE Balboa Skate Park
Alice Now & Zen Fest 2012: Alanis Morissette Sept. 30 Noon – 5 p.m. FREE Sharon Meadow (Golden Gate Park)
First Tuesday “Pay What You Wish Day” Oct. 2 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Pay What You Wish Cartoon Art Museum
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| 09.26.12
Cinema professor expands empire of sound with Emmy BY SEAN REICHHOLD | spreichh@mail.sfsu.edu
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ICOLE KIDMAN NARRATES A HECTIC scene of Soviet paratroopers jumping out of planes to an uncertain fate while orchestral music swells with dramatic portent, signifying the outset of the second Great War. This brief scene from the HBO film “Hemingway & Gellhorn” is filled with competing sounds: the musical score, the roar of plane engines and the voice of the actor describing the scene. Acquiring these sound effects and mixing them into a coherent soundtrack is a most delicate craft practiced by Pat Jackson, SF State associate professor of cinema. “It’s painting on a canvas,” Jackson said. “I’m devoted to expanding the empire of sound.” Jackson said that sound design is more than just filling a soundless film with noise to make it watchable. Sound design requires imagination and creativity to better advance the story and make the environment come to life. Jackson was awarded an Emmy Sept. 15 for outstanding sound editing for a miniseries, movie or special for her and her team’s work on “Hemingway & Gellhorn.” The film tells the story of two journalists, played by Clive Owen and Nicole Kidman, and their romance during WWII and the Spanish Civil War. The sound designers were tasked with designing and editing tracks SOUND VICTORY: Pat Jackson, associate professor of cinema, was awarded an Emmy to accompany previously silent archival footage in the for her work on the HBO film “Hemingway & film among other challenges Gellhorn.” Photo by Jamie Balaoro of using sound to animate a motion picture. “It’s an honor and I was happy that we were recognized,” said Jackson, who has been teaching post-production sound design at SF State for nine years. “Of course it was exciting, but we did not expect it.” Jackson has nearly four decades of experience in the movie business as a sound designer and editor, beginning with the first feature film she worked on, Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Conversation.” Jackson went on to work on other esteemed titles, including “The Godfather Part II,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “Apocalypse Now,” “Blue Velvet” and “The English Patient.” “I thought, ‘How could you be paid for having so much fun?’” said Jackson, reminiscing on her first endeavors in the film industry. “I didn’t even know you could work in movies unless you were a director.” Jackson got into teaching her craft after feeling disillusioned when she noticed how many sound editing gigs were being outsourced to studios in Europe. She saw this as an opportunity to share what she knows with students in the city she loves so that they can have the skills to create the movies that they want to create. “It’s fun to get students turned onto the potential of sound,” she said. “And the diversity of the student body at State makes for very interesting movies.” Jackson’s contributions to cinema and the University are not lost on faculty and students. “She’s fantastic and her reputation is fantastic,” cinema major Ernie Rafanan said. “Which is why I wanted to get in (her) class.” Rafanan is enrolled in Jackson’s projects and post-production sound class, where she often brings in her own work to demonstrate certain concepts to the class, including the work that recently earned her an Emmy. “She’s the complete professor,” Daniel Bernardi, cinema department chair, said. He explained that she has the perfect blend of teaching skills and real-world experience. “She’s very modest and she’ll always dodge credit for her achievements, but don’t believe it for a second. She’s one of the world’s best sound designers and teachers,” Bernardi said. Despite being honored by the award, Jackson claimed that is not why she does what she does. “I wasn’t even thinking about (winning an Emmy),” Jackson said. “I wasn’t doing it for an award. I do it because I like to do it.” Jackson is currently working on a documentary that profiles renowned Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser.
A R T S A N D E N T E R T A I N M E N T 11
12 A R T S A N D E N T E R T A I N M E N T
BY KIRSTIE HARUTA
kharuta@mail.sfsu.edu
09.26.12 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
Burlesque beauties sizzle red hot
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N A FLOURISH OF FEATHERS, SPARKLES AND SASS, DOTTIE Lux invites voracious crowds to hoot and holler to their hearts’ content at Red Hots’ twice-weekly burlesque show. Wednesday and Friday evenings at El Rio are about escaping the monotony of cubicles and lecture halls and enjoying fun, sexy performances in a satisfying environment. For five years, Lux has brought in a steady rotation of new and seasoned performers drawing in enthusiastic and diverse audiences. “Performing, producing and teaching burlesque, and keeping El Rio promoted is my full-time job,” Lux said. “It’s very easy to concentrate on something when you love it.” When Lux moved Red Hots from New York to San Francisco five years ago, she had her eye on El Rio in Mission District from the beginning. The queer-friendly, but not exclusive, environment was perfectly conducive with the community the bar strives to reach. “Every type of person you can imagine can be on our stage,” Lux said. “When you see what creates attraction is confidence, you see what creates sexual appeal is smarts and wit, you will be forever changed and forever educated to know that anything is possible.” Performers like the World Famous *BOB*, who closed out last Friday’s show, use the stage to both captivate and make a statement. In a piece titled “The World Famous *BOB*: She’s a F---ing Genius,” *BOB* performs a classic striptease to a recording of insults she has actually endured in her life. “I have a strong feeling that we all have this negative tape in our head, and some-
times it’s faint in the background, and sometimes it’s so blaring, it actually stops us from following our dreams,” *BOB* said. While the act often induces uncomfortable audience laughter, it has also inspired audiences who have encountered such negativity, including *BOB* herself. “It gives me a lot of strength to exorcise those demons on stage,” she said. Red Hots is also a place where performers and spectators with quirky tastes can thrive. Pickles Kintaro, September’s featured performer, had the audience in stitches last week during her French poodle act. “I’m kind of an odd bird,” said Kintaro with a laugh. “Boudoir burlesque is beautiful, but I’m not a dancer, I’m not incredibly graceful. I like to have fun and I like to make people laugh.” When she is not the featured performer, Kintaro performs at Red Hots at least once a month. She calls it a “home away from home.” “It’s such a welcoming, warm, friendly environment,” Kintaro said. “It’s just so much fun, and everybody is so sweet.” When the performers are happy, the audience is happy, too. Spectators revel in the camaraderie created by the weekly shows. “I think it’s a fun, queer-friendly space,” said Sarah McDonald, a regular Red Hots attendee. “And, you know, I like seeing women take their clothes off, and I love that it’s a body-positive space.” Sarah suggested the show to her sister Jessica McDonald who, after seeing it twice, has come to adore the welcoming space as well, McDonald said. “As someone who’s bigger, I love stuff like this. It gives me confidence to go out into the world, if they can,” McDonald said. “I think especially since that movie ‘Burlesque’ came out with Christina Aguilera, and that’s not what it has to be. It doesn’t have to be someone with a ‘perfect’ body – ‘perfect’ in quotes. Anyone can do it and just have fun.” Red Hots fans can have fun and support a good cause all in one night. A raffle takes place at each show and the winner gets to pick a cause to send all the proceeds to. Last Friday’s winner took Lux’s suggestion and the $52 raised will be going to Planned Parenthood – in Mitt Romney’s name. “The amount of love and respect for the raffle that we do has been immeasurable,” Lux said. “We have raised now close to $10,000, given to different charities.” Red Hots will donate the winner’s money, no matter what the cause, just as they will invite people to their shows, no matter who they are or how they identify. The only rules Lux has for the audience are to have fun, and no taking photos. She is passionate about the joys of live performance. “YouTube is not a viable way to receive live entertainment,” she said. “Allow people to spit on you when they’re on stage. Smell them, see them and have a real tangible experience.”
Red Hots Burlesque STRIPTEASE: Pearl E. Gates, left, and Pickles Kintaro, right, perform at Red Hots Burlesque at El Rio in the Mission District. Kintaro is the Red Hots featured performer of September. Photo by Melissa Burman
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O P I N I O N 13
| 09.26.12 STAFF EDITORIAL
Volatile year for voter apathy KALE WILLIAMS
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF kale@mail.sfsu.edu
ANGELA RAIFORD
PRINT MANAGING EDITOR araiford@mail.sfsu.edu
MATT MAXION
ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR mmaxion@mail.sfsu.edu
ELISSA TORRES
ART DIRECTOR elissat@mail.sfsu.edu
JEFF SANDSTOE
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR jsandsto@mail.sfsu.edu
CASSIE BECKER
PRINT COPY CHIEF cassbeck@mail.sfsu.edu
KEVIN SKAHAN
ONLINE COPY CHIEF kskahan@mail.sfsu.edu
SAM BATTLES
PRINT PHOTO EDITOR sbattles@mail.sfsu.edu
GODOFREDO VASQUEZ
ONLINE PHOTO EDITOR gvasquez@mail.sfsu.edu
BRAD WILSON
CAMPUS EDITOR bradw949@mail.sfsu.edu
CRISTINA RAMOS
CITY EDITOR cjramos@mail.sfsu.edu
ADRIAN RODRIGUEZ
A&E EDITOR arrodrig@mail.sfsu.edu
CAITLIN BYRNE
SPORTS EDITOR cmbyrne@mail.sfsu.edu
A
FTER A THREE-YEAR HIATUS, SF State student residents will once again be able to vote on campus this November. But will they? As journalists, we are aware of the importance of participating in the democratic process and we would like to think the same of our fellow students. So it came as a shock to us, with an election of such importance looming, that some of our peers don’t see the significance of stepping into the voting booth. In 2008, only 48.5 percent of eligible voters between the ages of 18 and 24 voted. Yet, there is good news — the numbers are on our side. College-age voter turnout has been trending upward over the last two presidential elections, rising roughly 12 percent over that time period, according to figures from the U.S. Census Bureau. While this rise in voter turnout among our demographic is encouraging, just less than half of these eligible voters actually made it to the polls last time around. We understand that politics, especially on the federal level, can be off-putting. Every four years we are told by both sides, in between millions of dollars worth of attack ads, that this election is “the most important choice in a generation.” It can get old quickly. We understand that the negativity associated with politics can be downright nasty and can serve to dissuade an undecided or inexperienced voter. We understand that one vote can seem insignificant in a state that has voted for a Democratic nominee in every presidential election since 1992. We also understand that our colleagues in the media can make it seem like the race for the Oval Office is the only one that matters, but this is not the case. Each measure impacts our future. Each vote matters. This year, like most, voters will decide on a host of propositions toward the bottom of the ballot, which will take up issues ranging from the death penalty to labeling genetically modified foods. But students at SF State will have a direct say in how much they pay for the privilege of attending our beloved University as they decide how to vote on Proposition 30. If it fails, we will each face a $150 hike
ART BY KALE WILLIAMS
in tuition. That’s your money getting flushed down the drain because of your voter apathy. If it passes, we will all be receiving a rebate check for roughly $250 as tuition rates will be retroactively rolled back to 2011-12 levels. We know you care about that. We also know how much easier it would be to let Nov. 6 pass by as simply just another Tuesday. We understand how the political process can sometimes seem like it’s just one voice drowned out among a million others, but this time, honestly, every vote matters — including yours.
JESSICA SCHIMM
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR jschimm@mail.sfsu.edu
RACHELE KANIGEL
FACULTY ADVISER kanigel@mail.sfsu.edu
SCOT TUCKER
PHOTO ADVISER tucker@mail.sfsu.edu
JESSE GARNIER
ONLINE ADVISER jgarnier@sfsu.edu
BETH RENNEISEN
DESIGN ADVISER gnusart@sfsu.edu
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CIRCULATION jaorozo@mail.sfsu.edu
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EVA CHARLES
ADVERTISING & BUSINESS echarles@mail.sfsu.edu
MARIELLE ATANACIO
STUDENT GRAPHIC DESIGNER marielle@mail.sfsu.edu
WRITE US A LETTER
Natural gas poses unnatural risks BY ELISSA TORRES | elissat@mail.sfsu.edu
The Golden Gate Xpress accepts letters no longer than 200 words. Letters are subject to editing. Send letters to Cassie Becker at:
California is one of the most liberal states, a leader in “green thinking” and the nation’s fourth largest oil-producing state, with more than 350 hydraulic fracturing wells stretching from Northern California all the way to Long Beach. Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is the process where gallons of water and chemicals are pumped 8,000 feet underground to create something like a mini earthquake. The pressure from the water and chemicals breaks apart rocks and releases natural gas. The problem is the aftermath of these chemicals. The mixture of more than 596 chemicals being pumped into the ground contaminates the surrounding water supply and leaches into streams, rivers, lakes and wells. Fracking liquid also contains fracturing fluid additives and naturally occurring radioactive substances. This ultimately poisons drinking water, a limited and diminishing resource. According to Josh Fox, who made a documentary on hydraulic fracking called “Gasland,” anywhere from 1 to 7 million gallons of water are wasted through this process. We’re mixing up our priorities. The Environmental Protection Agency aims to ensure that natural gas extraction doesn’t result in harm to citizens. The fracking process produces byproducts with high levels of total dissolved solids, which dissolve into calcium, chlorides, nitrate, phosphorus, iron and sulfur. Water with high levels of TDS are unfit for human consumption. Why is our government supporting an activity that is this bad for our health? The fracking process started in New Mexico, Texas, Wyoming, Oklahoma and Colorado. And now it’s moving closer to home. In December, the
federal government is scheduled to lease sections of land to oil and gas companies to begin the fracking process from Monterey to San Benito and Fresno counties. This will not only affect the families of our fellow students who live in the fracking area, but it will destroy the land. I don’t understand why we are constantly taking from the earth and treating it like it’s trash, yet we expect it to survive so we can live off of it. There’s no way. In 1972, then-President Richard Nixon signed the Clean Water Act, which was a leap of progress in the environmental movement. In 2005, the energy bill pushed through Congress by then-Vice President Dick Cheney exempted the oil and natural gas industry from the Safe Drinking Water Act. Those industries are also exempt from the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the superfund law and multiple other environmental acts. Since fracking is exempt from these laws, you better believe there will be a bunch of environmental issues to follow. Would you like to turn on your faucet and see a cloudy substance bubble and fizz in your cup? What if you could light your water on fire? It may sound cool, but it has serious environmental and health repercussions. Methane, ethylene, ethane and propane, all components of natural gas, have been found in the wells of people whose homes were near fracking sites. Hydraulic fracking is not only horrible for the environment — it’s disastrous to your heath. Those who live in or near Monterey, San Benito and Fresno, do your homework and understand what you’re in for. And if you think you’ve escaped fracking, you’re probably next.
cassbeck@mail.sfsu.edu
ABOUT XPRESS The Golden Gate Xpress is a student-produced publication of the journalism department at San Francisco State University. For more information or comments, please contact Kale Williams at: kale@mail.sfsu.edu
CORRECTIONS FOR XPRESS PRINT EDITION
In the “SF Occupiers remain dedicated to movement” story published Sept. 19, Chabot College communications major Jessica Hollie was incorrectly identified as Jessica Holly.
We regret our error.
14 S P O R T S
09.26.12 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
Trainers provide healing hands BY GERARDO RECINOS | grecinos@mail.sfsu.edu
Debra Austin Debra Austin might be new to California, but she is far from unaccustomed to an athletic training room. A former swimmer from New York, Austin has only been in San Francisco since July. During her time at Stony Brook University in New York, Austin was so frequently injured as an athlete that she gained the perspective of an athletic trainer during rehab time. “My freshman year I had some shoulder problems and I was in there (athletic trainer’s room) all the time,” Austin said. “So I’ve been there and I know what the process is. I know the tricks athletes use to get out of the training room.” Working student athletes through recovery is what Austin in particular finds rewarding. “I started to get to know the students and they started to talk up the program,” she said. “So my senior season (at Stony Brook) when I had a season ending injury and spent a lot of time with them and started to feel better about the profession.”
GATOR AID: Women’s soccer assistant trainer Ashley Vogds, left, tends to Lauren Floro (16), right, after sustaining an injury. Photos by Godofredo Vasquez
Ashley Vogds Ashley Vogds quickly wraps athletic bandages during a busy morning in the athletic training room, her hands only stopping to neatly set aside the finished rolls. But at least she isn’t stuck behind a desk. “I like athletics so this job is a good overall combination of what I like, and what I don’t like: sitting behind a desk,” Vogds said. “The job is rewarding, and working with younger people keeps you young, too.” Vogds has been working as an athletic trainer in the sports medicine department at SF State for two years. She applied for the job after finishing graduate school, because she wanted to stay in California after moving from the Midwest. To her, the job blends the perfect amount of inside and outside to work with the athletes. Vogds enjoys working in the department, and over time has developed relationships with the athletes and the staff in order to gain their trust while working on injuries. She says every day brings a new challenge. “Every year is different because each year every team’s chemistry is different and each day offers something different, which is unique. You’re not working on the same project all the time.”
Haley Crowell
FROM THE SIDELINE: SF State men’s soccer player Sasha Chalak (9) stands on the sideline after an injury.
Most athletes who participate in sports strive to make it to a professional level. Athletic trainer Haley Crowell’s aspirations are no different. “My dream job is to work in professional baseball. I want to work college baseball for a few years before applying for minor league athletic training positions,” Crowell said. “However, I wouldn’t mind staying in college ball for a while.” Crowell, originally from Southern California, studied exercise and sport sciences with an athletic training option at Oregon State University for her undergrad. She learned about the career option from a physiology teacher who noticed she had a knack for learning her muscle groups and how the body works. “Once I researched it a bit, I knew it was right for me,” Crowell said. “I’ve always been the person who likes taking care of people and being in control of situations.” Crowell works with the Gators’ baseball and women’s soccer teams, which are her favorite sports. She has experienced plenty of intense injuries during her career, and knows that it’s just part of what goes with the education and experience of being an athletic trainer. “I’ve seen broken bones, bloody noses, dislocations at multiple joints, concussions, etc.,” she said. “The key is to stay calm and keep the injured athlete calm.”
CRUTCHES: Men’s soccer player Gator Jose Vitela (16), center, was hurt during a game.
GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
S P O R T S 15
| 09.26.12
PLAYER
BRUK ASSEFA
WEEK
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
of the
Junior Bruk Assefa has been chosen as the Xpress Player of the Week. Assefa finished sixth place in an 8-kilometer race at the SF State Invitational Sept. 14. Assefa was the first to finish out of the Gator squad with a time of 26 minutes and 7 seconds.
PHOTO BY TYLER DENISTON/SF STATE SPORTS
Teams struggle to stay afloat BY ROCHELLE ROMERO | reromero@mail.sfsu.edu
M
ANY CLUB SPORTS AT SF STATE are struggling to maintain regular practice spaces and must now devise ways to function with insufficient money. President of the ice hockey club, Andrew Bensch is looking forward to returning to the ice, but money has become the ultimate barrier for his team. With no money flowing into the club, Bensch and his teammates will have to take a hiatus and start up again in late October or early November. Their small budget mostly goes to scrimmage time. “We can hardly afford to play games,” Bensch said. “It’s just supply and demand and upkeep of ice. Paying to use ice is just expensive. We know we can’t afford practice time.” University sports clubs are only allowed a budget of $500 each semester. The campus recreation department provides half of the necessary funds, with the other half provided by Associated Students, Inc. For the SF State ice hockey team, this means only having enough money to play one game a week. Players must pay the rest out of their own pockets. Bensch’s next plan for the club is organizing fundraisers to pay for this semester’s fees. He also hopes new members will cut costs down. “Just to find a new rink to play at since the last one wasn’t organized very well and to keep growing the team,” Bensch said. “The more players we have, the less each of us have to pay.” Other clubs interested in expanding have trouble using all allotted funds. Kempo karate is one of the smaller clubs on campus with only four core members, but that doesn’t stop them from practicing. The club recruits in the fall and can add up to 20 new members, which will increase competition costs. Since joining as a freshman three years ago, club president Cristian Saucedo admits the club doesn’t use its money every year, but wishes they could keep the money and use it during other semesters. After two years of building skills and increasing belt ranks, the team is finally ready to compete. Extra funds left over from previous semesters that they were not able to use in the past, would help them
pay various competition fees. “I would love rollover! Especially if we haven’t used it in the past and I know for the last few years we haven’t really,” Saucedo said. “If that could be taken into consideration, I would love for it to rollover.” Sparring equipment like shin pads, forearm protection and face cages could add up to $100 per person not including entrance fees. After adding in traveling costs, the club has had to look into fundraising to cover extra costs in the future. Money is a bigger problem for some of the larger clubs on campus. Ben Diaz, president of the men’s water polo club, is looking to expand his team even further but feels that a lack of funds has limited their ability to gain recognition. “I think the problem is that a lot of people know about (the teams), especially water polo, but they aren’t able to go at night because they have night classes. Aside from advertising and putting the word out there they need to be able to go,” Diaz said. “I’m sure that’s the same for a lot of other clubs too.” The team uses social media to attract new members. It has a website and uses Facebook to reach out to its 43 members. Expansion plans include the team joining tournaments and setting up scrimmages. This semester the club plans on setting up scrimmages against UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley. Playing in tournaments involves transportation and entrance fees, which can add up to $200 a weekend. Along with registering the club with the USA Water Polo Association, another $100 fee, the men’s water polo team could easily pass the $500 club limit. Since academics are the number one priority for most students, club sport athletes don’t always get the attention they feel they deserve. “It really needs to start from the top. Once our school gets enough funding then there will be more teachers, more classes, class sizes can go down and more availability for students,” Diaz said. “Then everybody can go to these clubs.” University President Leslie E. Wong is confident that SF State is on its way to improve athletics. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s existing sports or new sports. The coaches and athletic administration will work closely with me so we can achieve some goals long overdue,” Wong said. “Building awareness, support, excitement and attendance is the heart of these goals.”
G AT ORS’ SP OR T S SCHEDUL E FRIDAY (9.28) MEN’S SOCCER SF STATE VS. CAL STATE EAST BAY
12:30 P.M. (SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF.)
WOMEN’S SOCCER SF STATE VS. CAL STATE EAST BAY
3 P.M. (SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF.)
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL SF STATE VS. CAL STATE L.A.
7 P.M. (LOS ANGELES, CALIF.)
SATURDAY (9.29) WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
SF STATE VS. CAL STATE DOMINGUEZ HILLS 7 P.M. (CARSON, CALIF.)
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
CHARLES BOWLES INVITATIONAL (SALEM, ORE.)
SUNDAY (9.30) WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY CHARLES BOWLES INVITATIONAL (SALEM, ORE.)
MEN’S SOCCER
MAKING WAVES: Ben Diaz, president of the SF State men’s water polo club attempts a shot on goal during their practice. The club is struggling with insufficient funds. Photo by Sam Battles
SF STATE VS. CAL POLY POMONA 11:30 A.M. (POMONA, CALIF. )
WOMEN’S SOCCER SF STATE VS. CAL POLY POMONA
S C O R E
SCORES FROM THE LAST WEEK OF GATOR SPORTS
B O A R D
MEN’S SOCCER
L T
SEPT. 21 SF STATE VS. CAL STATE SAN BERNARDINO 0-2
SEPT. 23 SF STATE VS. UC SAN DIEGO 0-0
WOMEN’S SOCCER
W L
SEPT. 21 SF STATE VS. CAL STATE SAN BERNARDINO 2-1
SEPT. 23 SF STATE VS. UC SAN DIEGO 0-1
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
W L
SEPT. 21 SF STATE VS. CAL STATE STANISLAUS 3-0
SEPT. 22 SF STATE VS. CHICO STATE 0-3
2 P.M. (POMONA, CALIF. )
WEDNESDAY (10.3) WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
SF STATE VS. SONOMA STATE
7 P.M. (SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. )
09.25.12 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
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