GOLDEN GATE XPRESS Serving the San Francisco State community since 1927
Volume CIII, Issue 1
Wednesday – September 7, 2016
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Student protests result in new protocol by Ahalya Srikant asrikant@mail.sfsu.edu
Young medical
cannabis patients lose access
“We failed our students,” President Leslie E. Wong said in a statement released about a five-step protocol that will be used for future events. The controversial protest, led by members of the General Union of Palestine Students, resulted in a complicated investigation. According to the report, University Police Chief Reginald Parson said he wished he had received more support from Student Affairs in dealing with the protesters. “We are usually a team and one united voice,” Parson said in the report. “I felt that at some point in time earlier when it started, they should have engaged the leaders of the GUPS group about civil discourse and time, place, and manner.” The protesters faced punishment for their use of amplified sound, but the report mentioned instances when amplified sound has been used by protesters who went unpunished in the past. In one instance, protesters, who went unnamed, demonstrated next to the Republican Student Union’s table in Malcolm X Plaza and played the song “FDT (Fuck Donald Trump)” by YG and Nipsey Hussle over an amplified loudspeaker. Peter Sobrino, vice president of Young Americans for Liberty, said he believed the music limited RSU’s freedom of speech. Wong supported the five-step protocol and said “the report offers a thorough and fair critique. It makes exceptionally clear that the responsibility for the inadequate response prior to, during and following the event falls squarely on the shoulders of San Francisco State University administrators.” The report received mixed reviews from GUPS and SF Hillel. GUPS released a statement online about the investigation that read “the report highlighted that Hillel-affiliated students felt hurt by our protest, but it failed to include that we, as Palestinians who are targeted by the Mayor’s policies, felt erased by the Mayor’s presence.”
Mayor cont. page 2
Connor Caporicci can’t buy a lighter or pipe to smoke his medical-grade cannabis. Caporicci, a 19-year-old business management major, is a medical cannabis user with a legal prescription for the drug. This is the dilemma some 18 to 20-year-old legal card holders are facing now that California has begun enforcing its new Tobacco 21 Law. Passed in May, SBX2-7 has made it illegal for anyone to provide or sell tobacco products to someone under the age of 21. The law makes an exemption for military personnel, but leaves the state’s younger medical cannabis patients
struggling to get the resources they need. Retailers of pipes, bongs, vaporizers, rolling papers and other products traditionally used to smoke tobacco and marijuana have stayed under the legal radar by selling such items as tobacco products only, unless they operate as medical cannabis dispensaries. But not all dispensaries carry paraphernalia and some patients may not be close enough to one when they accidentally shatter their glass. Even smoking out of an apple requires fire. “The hardest part [of the law] is just the inconvenience of not being able to get papers or lighters,” said Caporicci, who has been denied sale at numerous gas stations and smoke shops since the introduction of the law. “It’s just a pain in the ass.” Although Caporicci doesn’t smoke
cigarettes, he finds it “annoying” that the right has been taken away from 18-year-old adults. Under the California Compassionate Use Act, adults 18 years and older can obtain prescriptions for medical cannabis to treat a myriad of health issues, including ailments like old injuries, anxiety and relief from cancer symptoms. Caporicci often relies on friends over the age of 21 to buy him a lighter when needed, but those friends could face penalties under SBX2-7 as well. Patients like Connor find themselves legally able to get their medicine but having to break laws to obtain a means to consume the medication. According to the law, people under 21 can’t be cited for using or simple possession of tobacco products, but both retailers and the general public can be penalized for selling or
giving anything deemed a tobacco product to anyone underage. The law is enforced by the California Department of Public Health, which works with investigators and local authorities and is given license in the bill’s language to conduct sting operations. Ron Owens of CDPH confirmed the department’s involvement in enforcement of the law, but also stated that the CDPH “Medical Marijuana program tracks the number of Medical Marijuana Identification Cards (MMIC) issued and maintains a registry to check for MMIC card validity.”
Graduation smooths with new initiative
New Dream Act coordinator
Speedier SHS appointments
Gators beat Warriors
by Victor Verdugo – page 4
by Breanna Reeves – page 5
by Lea Fabro – page 8
by Jesse Saeteurn – page 11
by Nik Wojcik nwojcik@mail.sfsu.edu
Cannabis cont. page 2
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NEWS
Wednesday | September 7, 2016
Members of the General Union of Palenstine Students and other organizations interrupt Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat’s speech in the Seven Hills Conference Center at SF State on Wednesday, April 6, 2016. Photo by Imani Miller
New protocol for student protests Protocol from page 1
The statement continued, saying “not only were we subjected to this hate monger, but we were investigated for months and publicly smeared as violent and anti-Semitic.” GUPS refused a request for an interview, stating they needed time to discuss the report as a group. Oliver Benn, executive director of SF Hillel
thinks everyone has the right to protest, but civil discourse is more productive. “I think there is a cultural problem at SF State where we have to decide whether we want to have civil discourse and listen to the views of people we don’t necessarily agree with,” Benn said. Benn regretted that students from SF Hillel who are not in support of Israel were unable to ask questions or challenge the mayor because
of the protest. Benn said “not all Jews support Israel.” The report cited a student who shared this point of view. “As a Jewish community member, I came with my little challenging questions [about the Mayor’s policies towards Palestinians,]” the report read. “The second they were protesting they put me in my tribal stance and suddenly I was supporting the Mayor.”
With the new protocols in place, Wong hopes to create a safe campus environment for all students. “We will continue to monitor the campus climate, and we will make every effort to respond to student concerns in a timely fashion,” Wong said. “We will work to build trust with our students and the broader community so that we can fully embody our institutional mission and our values.”
Senate approves graduation bill, streamline process A new bill labeled “The California Promise” aims to help students graduate quicker from a four-year university. The bill, unanimously approved by the State Senate on Aug. 30, will bring a glimpse of hope for some students, but places a promise of a degree in a timely manner out of reach. The goal of the new bill, which was first brought to the state assembly by District 7 Senator Steve Glazer in February 2015, is to create pathways to four-year graduation; if the student is transferring from a community college and has earned an associate degree, the bill will help that student obtain a bachelor’s degree within two academic years of the student’s first year of enrollment at the CSU. “I chose a different major, because I didn’t want an impacted one and get stuck here over four years,” said creative writing major Magdalena Becerra. “I’ve seen people switch majors because they were discouraged.” However, a student needs to meets certain requirements before they can receive the benefits like priority registration and academic advisement that will include monitoring of the student’s academic progress. To qualify, entering freshmen or transfer students must meet rigorous standards,
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by Nick Madden nmadden@mail.sfsu.edu
“I chose a different major, because I didn’t want an impacted one and get stuck here over four years. I’ve seen people switch majors because they were discouraged.”
according to the new bill. Include but are not limited to: be a California resident and commit to completing at least 30 semester units per academic year. According to the SF State website, the accumulated cost of going to the University will be $18,748 per academic year — not including tuition — which will add another $5,472 per academic year for undergraduate students enrolling in more than 6 units per semester and $3,174 for undergraduates enrolling in 6 or fewer units. “I work 30 to 35 hours per week,” Becerra said. “Then I probably spend 8 hours or more on school work.” Working a job plus a full-time school schedule and not counting other non-work and school activities, some students might not be able to commit to the 30 units per year, forcing
Magdalena Becerra
them to stay extra time at a University. “Students end up with extra units,” Jacob Jackson, a research fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California said. “Students have many roadblocks, CSUs and campuses can use ‘Promise’ by staying attentive to who will benefit the most with this bill.” According to a CSU analysis, only 19 percent of first time freshmen graduate in four years or less that number up 3 percent from 2011 when the rate was at 16 percent, which according to the state Senate is well below the national rate of 26 percent among similar public institutions. “There will be a gap of 1 million degrees by 2030,” Jackson said. “38.4 percent of jobs will require a college degree.” Navigating the maze of selecting classes in an impacted major can be problems for students
who are not used to the university system. “It would have definitely been easier, if I had the benefits (of the bill),” Becerra said. “I only had one priority registration once my whole time here and that was because I was a resident advisor.” According to the Public Policy Institute of California, if graduation rates stay the way they currently are, they predict California workers who have a bachelor’s degree will count for only 33 percent of the working population in 2030. “There is more work to be done to meet CSU’s Graduation Initiative 2025 goals,” Elizabeth Chapin, manager of public affairs at CSU office of the chancellor, said. “But we must ensure that campuses are able to direct resources to the programs that are most effective for their students.”
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NEWS
Wednesday | September 7, 2016
Students respond to alleged data breach of student information “It seems pretty secure. I think my information is safe. The only thing that seems a little off to me is having one student ID number you have to use for everything, linked to everything. That would be (a bad thing to be breached).”
“I trust the school. As an international student from Brazil, my tuition comes from another country and it’s a much more complex transaction, so I gotta trust that they’ll get the money. I haven’t had any problems yet.” –Yula Costa, cinema major
–Alejhandro Jordan, kinesiology major
“For now, I feel our system is very secure. Every time you access your account, you have to log in, and the system automatically logs you out if you idle too long.”
“If our financial data was breached I would lose faith in SFSU to protect my information. If it was just my student ID I wouldn’t care.” –Miranda Waters, astrophysics major
–Ivan Li, drama major
— Text by Jason Rejali and photos by Cody McFarland
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NEWS
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Wednesday | September 7, 2016
Path to graduation for students smooths with new initiative
Photoillustration by Jesslyn Los Banos
by Victor Verdugo vverdugo@mail.sfsu.edu SF State is developing a program called the Causeway Initiative to help create a graduation pathway for incoming undergraduate health and science students. Dean of Undergraduate Education and Academic Planning Jennifer Summit said the initiative was created to address problems with low graduation rates and high dropout rates in
impacted health majors. “We wanted to make it possible for students to complete their degrees in time and to make it easier for students to select and get into the courses they need,” said Summit. “We also want to give them support while they’re thinking through what they should major in and what their goals are.” Summit believes by expecting students to identify major before being admitted, the University makes it harder for them to succeed. “Research shows us, both on this campus
and nationally, that students do better when they’re given space to really reflect on their goals and how they line up with majors that the University offers,” said Summit Up to 35 percent of undergraduates leave SF State before completing their degrees, according to the spring 2016 newsletter from the division of undergraduate education and academic planning. By reorganizing prerequisite lower division courses with opportunities for career exploration and advising, the initiative strives to help students continue seeking their degrees
while setting major career goals along the way. The initiative will also reevaluate the student learning outcomes, expectations and coursework of undergraduate students, in hopes that more will continue on with their education past the lower division level. Leaders from the College of Health and Social Sciences and the College of Science and Engineering met four times this summer to discuss how departments can redesign introductory courses and student learning outcomes. The meetings also focused on the importance of advising programs to help guide students through the the introductory years of college. “We can talk about student learning outcomes all day long and we can change our GE courses. But a student’s success is not only based on what happens in the classroom, it’s also how they are supported outside the classroom,” said psychology lecturer Mary Hughes Stone, who participated in the department meetings for the Causeways Initiative. Summit agrees that an involved advising program could help students overcome barriers towards graduation. “Our advisement system really needs to be strengthened and become more student focused,” said Summit. “We have excellent advisors but I would say that our university system of advising is not integrated and coherent in a student-friendly way. So it’s easy for students to lose their path.” Psychology student Martin Bustamante believes that the Causeways Initiative will work best if students can receive easy access to counselors and advisors, that will help make coming into the university system less jarring. “If it’s done right, it will help take away some of the shock that’s associated with entering a university,” said Bustamante. “By giving students significant context that helps them feel comfortable in a college environment, as well as giving them resources like who to talk to and what is available to them.” Bustamante met with program officers of the Causeways Initiative to speak about his experience in a first-year college program at Pasadena City College. Summit credits advocate students like Bustamante for helping the initiative find funding. The DUEAP’s spring newsletter also reported a $500,00 grant from the Keck Foundation, with which it plans to create seminars for students that will inspire career and major development. Redeveloped courses are expected to be offered fall 2017, with an accompanying seminar each semester that will inspire career and major development. Mary Ann Begley, who will be stepping in as interim dean of UEAP after Summit, was appointed as interim provost and vice president for academic affairs on Aug. 8th, will take on a leadership role for the Causeway Initiative overseeing it as it kicks off next year.
Youth cannabis users limited by tobacco law That information suggests that retailers may not be in violation if selling specific tobacco products to underage customers with valid cards being tracked by their registry, although confirmation had not yet been received by the time this article was published. The tobacco age law passed by the legislature and signed by the governor, which doesn’t require voter approval. But Californians will likely have an opportunity to vote on marijuana legalization for recreational use under Proposition 64 during the November election. However, that measure is aimed to legalize recreational usage for adults over 21. For now, it seems as though an amendment to SBX2-7 is the only solution for underage cannabis patients, but no such initiatives have been publicly discussed. The California Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency does not have a clear solution to the problem presented
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For now, it seems as though an amendment to SBX2-7 is the only solution for underage cannabis patients, but no such initiatives have been publicly discussed.
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Cannibis from page 1
to younger cannabis patients. “There is some confusion,” said Russ Heimerich, deputy secretary of communications for BCSH under Governor Brown. “A lot of the stuff that can be used for marijuana can also be used for tobacco.” The author of the bill, Senator Ed Hernandez, was unavailable for comment at the time this article was written, although his webpage explaining the bill states that “medical marijuana is regulated separately from tobacco, so it does not fall under this law.” However, SBX2-7 doesn’t explicitly mention the words medical, medicinal, marijuana or cannabis. An employee at Sunshine Coast, a popular tobacco/smoke shop on Haight Street, confirmed that they will not allow anyone under the age of 21 to enter the store, even if they present a valid medical cannabis card. “It’s just a grey area that hasn’t been defined,” said the employee, who preferred not to provide their name. “It’s a conflict.”
Wednesday | September 7, 2016
NEWS
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Norma R. Salcedo the AB 540 Dream Coordinator laughs during the Undocugators Welcome Night in Rigoberta Menchu Hall at SF State on Wednesday, Aug. 31 2016. Photo by Connor Hunt
Dream Center now a reality with new dream coordinator Associated Students, Inc. welcomed new dream coordinator, Norma Salcedo, at the first annual UndocuGators welcome night on Aug. 31. ASI, Improving Dreams, Equity, Access and Success and the AB 540 Task Force have worked together to develop a Dream Center at SF State. The dream coordinator position was created to help organize the Dream Center and the services it will provide. “The first thing was creating a job description and hiring, with Student Affairs, this person,” said Mario Flores, ASI Project Connect Director and AB 540 Task Force representative. “The idea is to start a resource center, a Dream Center, for undocumented students on campus.” Salcedo officially started her role as the dream coordinator on July 11. A resident of Long Beach and previous employee at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Salcedo took a leap of faith in applying for the position at SF State. “At my former school, I was doing immigrant work and undocumented work on the side,” Salcedo said. “I was working full time in the residential life realm and housing. And after hours, on the weekends, I was doing parent workshops. I was out advocating for undocumented students. I was looking for a job where I could do my passion full time.” The AB 540 Task Force was able to hire Salcedo as dream coordinator because they received additional funding for the Student Success and Completion Initiative, according to Mary Ann Begley, interim associate vice president and dean of students. “The Chancellor’s Office actually did provide all 23 campuses with a certain amount of funding last year that allowed us to look at initiatives we didn’t already have on campus but needed,” Begley said. “And so one of the initiatives we identified was, in fact, having a Dream Coordinator to help us with getting the resources and (assistance) for our undocumented students.” According to the SF State Fiscal Year 2015-2016 Budget Update, Student Success and Completion Initiatives, under the Department of Student Affairs Enrollment Management, received $300,000 in funding. The initiative was developed to help the University improve graduation and retention rates and enhance student experiences. “We noticed that our number of undocumented students have been steadily increasing over the years and we only had two staff members who—part of the time—were working in financial aid,” Begley said. “Part
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of their time was devoted to working with students, especially around financial aid. It just wasn’t enough.” SF State faculty, staff At my former and students that make up the AB 540 Task Force school, I was drafted the job description doing immigrant for the Dream Coordinator position. Pamela Ortiz work and is a 22-year-old studio undocumented art major and co-chair of work on the side. IDEAS who helped write I was working the description. “Well, as part of the full time in task force, and I was vice president of IDEAS at the the residential time, who is also involved, life realm and I actually helped write the job description,” Ortiz said. housing. And “From the very beginning, after hours, on I was there.” Salcedo, along with the weekends, I IDEAS and the AB 540 was doing parent Task Force, have created workshops. a calendar of events for undocumented students I was out that include informational advocating for meetings about the Continue the Dream undocumented Scholarship, UndocuWeek students. I was and Educators Coming Out looking for a job Day. “As someone who where I could do graduated from a CSU, I know first-hand what it is my passion full to be a minority at a higher time. institution, what it is to - Norma Salcedo be with limited resources, with low income,” Salcedo said. “I knew that this is what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to do the work at a CSU.” During the UndocuGators Welcome Night, staff, faculty and IDEAS members passed out “promise pins” to the undocumented students in attendance as a “token of (their) commitment to [them].” “We came up with (the pins) together. At one of our last meetings, we were just talking about ‘what is a way that we can kind of symbolize our commitment to our students that we’re working with,’” Begley said. “The idea that we came up with was this nice way to demonstrate our commitment and welcome them to the family.”
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SF State FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTING FEDERAL CRIMES (for 29 years)?/COMPLETE by Leland Yoshitsu
available on iTunes • Kindle • nook • ($2.99) ISBN: 978-1-945563-86-7
President Obama’s ‘SECRET CRIMES’ Today, it is important for the Public to know that our US Federal Government has secretly STOLEN, DESTROYED, AND ENSLAVED our FREEDOM, LIBERTY, EQUALITY, AND CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY by secretly NOT ENFORCING AND NOT DEFENDING our 14th Amendment (to provide all its citizens “equal protection of the laws” against Crime and Racism) as President Obama continues to secretly maintain and enjoy His UNCIVILIZED ‘OPPRESSIVE GRIP OF CRIME AND TERROR AGAINST HIS KIDNAPPED AND TORTURED’ Asian-American Hostages who still seek TRUTH AND JUSTICE after being severely punished and confined by the US Federal Government (for 29 years) for being the ‘INNOCENT VICTIMS’ of Federal Crimes by NBC. @lelandyoshitsu lelandyoshitsu.com see: Hillary Clinton’s letter to Leland (pg 4)
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LIFESTYLE & CULTURE
6
Wednesday | September 7, 2016
The Vista Room welcomes semester with new menu offerings by Victor Verdugo vverdugo@mail.sfsu.edu
An SF State student who refused to provide their name makes a salad for a customer at The Vista Room in Burk Hall room 401 on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016. | Photo by Garrick Wong
Fresh made noodles lay in a baking sheet before they are added to a pasta at The Vista Room in Burk Hall room 401 on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016. | Photo by Garrick Wong Two bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar sit on a table in The Vista Room in Burk Hall room 401 on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016. Photo by Garrick Wong
Chef Tim Shaw introduced his new students to The Vista Room kitchen by demonstrating how to prepare and plate the first dishes of the semester — an eggplant parmigiana and the rosemary tritip “California” dip. SF State’s fine dining restaurant, The Vista Room, reopened its doors for the semester on August 31, kicking off the school year with a new menu. The Vista Room, which provides a more formal lunch experience for students and faculty, is also a course laboratory for the Hospitality and Tourism Management Department. Students enrolled in the class learn the ins and outs of working in a restaurant kitchen. Shaw has been The Vista Room’s chef and instructor since fall 2015 and teaches students of all levels to cook and prepare meals for real customers. “I tell them on the first day of class that I want to know their ideas. I want to know what they want to do,” said Shaw. “I don’t want this to be chef Tim’s restaurant.” Hospitality management major Evelyn Favela has aspirations to work in event planning after college, but she enrolled in the course hoping that working in The Vista Room Kitchen would expose her to a different aspect of the hospitality industry. “It’s exciting to know I can learn so much while working behind the scenes,” Favela said. “I’ve never worked in a kitchen setting so I like that I’ll gain experience while learning from a professional.” The first customers of the semester were psychology student Alen Tersakyan, university articulation officer Cecilia Herrmann and university curriculum coordinator Claude Bartholomew from the
Department of Undergraduate Education and Academic Planning. Though Herrmann was a returning customer, Tersakyan and Bartholomew were both eating at the Vista Room for the first time and were impressed with the unique oncampus dining experience. “It’s not something I’ve seen on other campuses so it’s great to see that SF State offers this,” Bartholomew said. All three agreed they would return to have lunch in the near future. Restaurant management instructor Joe LaVilla recommends that anyone interested in eating at The Vista should make a reservation ahead of time, since availability is mainly based on the number of students working in the kitchen and front of house. The Vista Room is open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11 p.m. to 2 p.m. Menu offerings range from $6 to $12 dollars. However a three-course prix fixe option is available for $17 a person. For this semester’s first menu, Shaw created dishes based on seasonal organic and local ingredients. He plans to update the menu during the semester to keep all the dishes seasonal. “The food we have now isn’t going to be so appropriate in the middle of October,” said Shaw “It also gives the students a chance to have some repetition. This way they can make the dish a few times before they master it.” Shaw strives to making everything in the menu farm to table, but he also takes into consideration different dietary restrictions. “There should always be a vegan dish and there should always be something vegetarian,” said Shaw. “I try to take that into account so people with dietary restrictions can always find something on the menu.” A fresh made loaf of focaccia bread sits on a cutting board in The Vista Room in Burk Hall room 401 Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016. Photo by Garrick Wong
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LIFESTYLE & CULTURE
Wednesday | September 7, 2016
SF State music major Christian Arriola (left) plays drums in his MUS 309 course in the Creative Arts building room 154 on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2016. Photo by Kayleen Fonte
Music majors move beyond jazz, classical music by Kelsey Matzen As 23-year-old Ryan Tipton sits outside Burk Hall, he treats students walking to class to a deconstructed, acoustic version of Odeza’s popular electronic song “Say My Name” on his guitar. Though Tipton plays eight other instruments, he has played guitar for nine years and admits that it’s the one he fell in love with. Tipton describes his musical style as a mix between Ed Sheeran and Alina Bazar, with the honest relatability of Sheeran but the overarching calmness of Bazar. He also covers electronic music, giving them an acoustic spin. His current project involves three songs off the new Glass Animals album “How to Be a Human Being.” Tipton describes Glass Animals as his current obsession.
“It’s mostly their lyrics and their very organic instruments,” Tipton said. “Most of their lyrics don’t really make sense and I think there’s a certain beauty about being so incoherent that it makes sense.” Despite his long-term love for music, Tipton majors in business administration management. “Unfortunately at SFSU they primarily want jazz and classical and what I want to pursue isn’t in that realm,” Tipton said. Dr. Mafez Modirzadeh, a world music professor at SF State since 1998, thinks it is a common notion among students that all there is that’s promoted for relevant study is jazz and classical music. According to Modirzadeh, for the past few years faculty has approved of world and creative music as an emphasis for a bachelor’s degree in music. “Any students who feel that there’s only a limited choice need to dig deeper. They’ll find
there to be more choices the deeper they dig,” Modirzadeh said. An emphasis in creative music looks at creativity across cultures, genres and the role of creativity within music. Modirzadeh says it arose as the school recognized students need opportunities to explore their own creative roles and performances. “They have to have a place where they can try out these ideas and discuss these ideas and that’s why we have creative music here,” Modirzadeh said. Another student, 24-year-old Christopher Castanon, has played guitar for 15 years. Despite his musical background, he also chose to refrain from studying music. However, he does not attribute this decision to the music program. He believes that a heavy emphasis on jazz and classical music is important for a solid foundation in music.
“Jazz and classical are building blocks to understand the fundamentals,” Castanon said. “It’s not the school’s job to teach musicians how to be creative, that’s where the personal aspect of music comes from.” Though nothing is definite yet, Modirzadeh suggested that in the future the music program may expand even more, possibly creating an emphasis in film, rock and popular music, which he refers to as commercial music. He attributes this growth to the amount of genres found in modern music. “Nowadays with information, access and technology, one can’t describe what they do with one genre,” Modirzadeh said. “They pull and draw from many genres and in the end we find ourselves having to refer not to genre or style but to artists and people.”
New health center appointment system speeds up service People walk to and from Student Health Services at SF State on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016. SHS implemented an online appointment system last semester. | Photo by Steven Ho
by Lea Fabro lfabro@mail.sfsu.edu Students have found relief from overcrowding and long waits in Student Health Services since the implementation of a new online appointment system last semester. In the past, SHS has struggled with overcapacity in the waiting room due to an online booking system that wasn’t designed to adequately categorize appointments by symptoms. This made visits longer than necessary and left students worrying whether they would make it to their next class on time or not. “Wrapping our brains around doing online appointments took us awhile, but what drove it in the end was that we noticed that students had to come in and they were lining up,” said Carol Brewer, the SHS admin analyst. After SHS’s quality improvement committee conducted a study to determine ways to fix the overcrowding issue, the management decided to increase the availability of online appointments. “So we took the plunge and we put 50 percent of the appointments to be booked online by students only,” Brewer said. The department implemented the new system in January 2016.
Now, when students make an appointment online, a small window pops up asking to summarize their symptoms in ten words or less. This helped concerns regarding overcapacity in the clinic. “I’ve never had to wait,” said BECA major Marta Navarrete. “I’ve made appointments online before and the longest I’ve waited to get called in was probably a minute.” Since the new online appointment system was implemented, there’s been less crowding in the waiting room and students seem happier due to a shorter waiting time, said Stella Blankenship, a nurse at SHS. SHS also introduced a new system called Fast Track, which was designed to address appointments for common illnesses such as sore throats, colds and other ailments. Fast Track appointments are no more than a quick consultation with the doctor. “One time I came in and I was really sick and they saw me right away,” sociology major Billie Beard said. Despite these improvements, SHS still struggles with office space and staffing. “We could always use more,” said Brewer. “We have a problem with space as well. So even having more sometimes is not going to be the answer.”
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OPINION
Wednesday | September 7, 2016
Upcoming movie “(Re)Assignment” makes a mockery out of trans bodies
Film still courtesy of Saban Films
by Jordan Vail jmv@mail.sfsu.edu For a while now, I’ve been eager to share my disappointment with the lack of authentic transgender representation in TV and film. I’ve felt that watching shows and movies that wanted to present the transgender experience but still cast cisgender actors to play the part was the equivalent of being fed table scraps. Yes, I was being fed, but it wasn’t enough, and it wasn’t any good. Maybe I should be content with table scraps, because finding out about the upcoming movie “(Re)Assignment” was like being force-fed garbage. For those who don’t know, the movie stars Michelle Rodriguez as a male hitman who, after being tricked into undergoing unwanted gender reassignment surgery by a
mad doctor, is now on the hunt for revenge. If that sentence hasn’t set off alarm bells in your head yet, I’ll explain why it should. It’s no surprise there still exists a massive amount of stigma against trans people. According to a report by the Human Rights Campaign, transphobic violence is at an all-time high, with more trans people reported killed in 2015 than any other year. The 2011 National Center for Transgender Equality survey found that 63 percent of respondents reported experiencing significant acts of discrimination in the form of – among others – denial of medical service. 50 percent had to explain to their own health providers what being trans is and how that could impact their health. I singled out the statistics regarding medical service and health specifically because it exemplifies the massive lack of understanding regarding the
medical needs and experiences of trans people. Forced feminization and coercive surgery are not experiences that the majority of trans women face. In fact, according to the 2010 National Transgender Discrimination Survey’s report on health care, the majority of trans women cannot have gender reassignment surgery due to exorbitant costs and the staggering amount of legal and medical barriers. “(Re) Assignment,” however, creates this false connection between an invasive, unwanted, irreversible medical procedure and the trans experience. The idea that gender reassignment surgery, which for many trans people has been essential for them to live their lives safely and happily, can be inflicted upon someone as some sort of punishment is not just insensitive but cruel. While not every trans person finds surgery to be a necessary part of confirming
their gender identity, those who do are often barred from doing so. To take a procedure some trans people desperately desire and cannot have and turn it into punishment simultaneously teases them with the possibility of it and shames them for even wanting something so violent and horrific. This is the most harmful notion “(Re)Assignment” is presenting: trans people must be crazy and must be monsters to willingly undergo something like gender reassignment surgery. Being trans is performing the unthinkable by going against gender roles in society. This kind of thinking is doubly so for trans women and is tied to the idea that women are lesser than men. Therefore, “(Re)Assignment” asserts the idea the worst thing a villain can do to someone isn’t kill them but rather take away their manhood. It reinforces the belief that trans women aren’t human, because they’ve had something essential– their maleness – stripped from them. The removal of the protagonist’s male characteristics is positioned as the ultimate loss. It’s a punishment, it’s something to be feared, and as a result, so too are trans individuals who undergo or want to undergo such surgeries. That is what makes this new movie so dangerous. It has the potential to do serious harm to the fragile image trans people have been building of themselves for years. The general public still buys into so many myths surrounding trans people. And a major feature film with a starstudded cast perpetuating incredibly hurtful and incredibly false tropes will only further damage an already faulty understanding and perception of trans issues. I can only hope the damage isn’t too severe. I don’t like table scraps, but I can survive off of them. I can’t survive off of garbage.
Learning to survive and surviving to learn I wake up early, makeup smeared and a computer to my side. I think the same thing I do every morning: “I’m too young to be this stressed.” But I have to brush it off and repeat the same day I had the day before. School all day, work all night. To students like me there is no free time. We either try to jam another shift into our schedule or spend hours in the library. And for what? This is the time to focus on our education, while also experiencing college and all of its late night parties and caffeine-fueled study nights. The last thing students working for a better future should be doing is working 30 or more hours a week. And yet here we are, sleeping four to six hours a night, reading assigned passages on the bus to and from work, writing essays on our phones and living paycheck to paycheck. A 2015 study from Georgetown University Center on Education states that in the U.S. nearly 14 million people are working while attending an extended learning program. Our generation is not only expected to go to a four year college right after high school but we are now also expected to face the ever rising tuition and housing costs that come with California colleges. From 2010 alone, there has been a 42 percent increase in tuition costs at SF State, and students are the ones left to bear the burden. We either take out loans and fear for graduation day, because that beautiful diploma also comes with a big, fat bill, or we sacrifice hours in our week to work, often for survival.
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by Karina Bueno kebueno@mail.sfsu.edu
And yet here we are, sleeping four to six hours a night, reading assigned passages on the bus to and from work, writing essays on our phones and living paycheck to paycheck
Most students have heard the phrase: “for every hour of class per week you should dedicate two to three hours outside of class studying.” Therefore, a three unit class that meets twice a week for about an hour and a half means a student would have to spend about six to nine hours a week studying. And that’s only for one class. At SF State, for someone to be considered a full-time student they must be enrolled in four or more classes. Total study time for full-time students would be roughly 24 to 36 hours. That may not seem like much until you compare it to how many hours there are total in the week while also factoring in other variables. In a single week there are 168 hours. Subtract the hours we need to study and we’re left with 132 hours. If we’re taking care of ourselves we sleep roughly eight hours a night, leaving us with 76 hours. Let’s also group together personal hygiene, cooking and eating into one hour. Let’s say an hour total for getting ready in the morning and an hour for each meal. After study time, sleeping and taking care of ourselves, we are left with 54 hours: still seems doable. At first, this seems like plenty of time to dedicate to social interaction, hobbies and relaxation
– until you factor in a part-time job. Those extra 54 hours in a week disappear quickly for students like me who work. We’re down to roughly 10 hours a week where we are free to do things. All this doesn’t even take into account other factors such as travel time to and from work and school. According to U.S. News & World Report, 83 percent of SF State students live off campus and commute to school. The amount of stress this puts on students like me takes a toll on our bodies, our academic performance and our mental health. I’ve seen friends depriving themselves of sleep to finish assignments because their nights are reserved for working. I’ve seen friends take on two jobs, resulting in them cutting back on classes. I have personally taken trips to hospitals with splitting headaches and for my anxiety. We’ve all heard the phrase: “If it’s putting a strain on your school work, why don’t you just quit?” But for many like me, quitting our jobs means no food on our tables and no home to live in. The expectations put on my generation, and many generations to come, are soul crushing. Sometimes I don’t even know how I do it, until I realize I have no other choice.
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SPORTS
Wednesday | September 7, 2016 SF State Gator’s junior midfielder Sierra Sagasta (11) shields the ball during their 2-1 loss against Central Washington University at Cox Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016. Photo by Brenna Cruz
SF State Gator’s senior forward Kayleen Belda (3) shields the ball during their 2-1 loss against Central Washington University at Cox Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016. Photo by Brenna Cruz
Gators fall late despite hot start by Terence Scott tscott2@mail.sfsu.edu The SF State’s women’s soccer team began the 2016 season with a tough 2-1 loss against Central Washington University despite an early lead in their home opener at Cox Stadium on Thursday. “I thought we played well in the first half,” senior Autumn Fox said. “We got a really good goal early, then we kinda settled in a little and that’s what I think really hurt us. It’s disappointing.” The Gators jumped out to a 1-0 lead after SF State defender Sarah Guensler scored off an assist from Autumn Fox and Bianca Lowe early in the first half. But that was it from there as Central Washington answered back with a goal to tie it up at 1-1 right before the half. “Our first half was good, but I was disappointed with our ability to compete in the second half,” head coach Tracy Hamm said. “We were expecting a physical match
and high level competition and Central Washington brought that, unfortunately we weren’t able to match that.” In the second half the Gators didn’t stick to their gameplan they had coming in. According to Hamm, they started to play a style they didn’t train for and that led to their late second-half loss. Central Washington’s forward Emily Seelbach scored the deciding goal at the 75 minute mark in the second half to seal the win. “I think the ideas were there today, they just weren’t executed correctly,” midfielder Sydney Stout said. “Working in practice on the little details more can really help us.” “The positive thing to take away from today for the team was seeing what the expectation is and the standard physical qualities it will take to win games,” said Hamm. “We have a lot of redemption games from last season,” Stout said. “ We lost a bunch of games we should have won. It’s redemption for ourselves, now it is time for us to go prove it.” The Gators next game will be at home Sep. 4 against Dominican University of California.
Men’s soccer drops season opener, but remain confident despite loss by Laura Monique Ordonez lordonez@mail.sfsu.edu Men’s soccer started their season off on Thursday at Cox Stadium with a new team, new coaches and a disappointing 1-0 loss to Hope International University. The Gators put up a determined fight defensively, holding off Hope International Royals for the majority of the game. The Royals took advantage of an opening in the Gator defense in the 18th minute, scoring the one and only goal of the game in a play that would prove detrimental to the Gators. “We created a lot of chances, we had a lot of goal scoring opportunities, we just didn’t have the final touch on frame,” said Ayala-Hil.
Newly appointed head coach Javier Ayala-Hil attributed the loss to the red card called on Gators defender Nolan Parker in the 60th minute along with the lack of strong execution. One crucial opportunity came with only nine minutes left in the second half when the Gators came scathingly close to scoring their first goal with a strong shot from forward Ashley Watson, which ended up positioning itself too far right and missing the goal. Despite their loss, the Gators looked steady and confident, relentless in holding possession of the ball, a strategy Ayala-Hil says he has been working on with the team in practice. “The biggest thing for us is what we’ve been working on in training and that’s trying to control the game with a possession oriented style game, which is difficult to do,” said Ayala-Hil. “It’s
been looking great in training, but now when you implement it in a real game it’s more difficult to do, so I know that’s going to take some time” Ayala-Hil said he and his team are patient and will continue to practice this strategy and try to execute it within games going forward. He said the emotions of the first game as a new team with a new coaching staff got the best of the Gators today and hopes these emotions settle with the opening season game under their belt. “Now we’ve just got to look forward to Saturday’s game.” said Ayala-Hil.“We’ve got plenty of games left in the rest of the season, so I think there is a lot of growth to be had as a team.” The Gators will look to move forward with a win on Saturday against William Jessup University at Cox Stadium.
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Wednesday | September 7, 2016 SF State Gators celebrate freshman forward Richard Leon’s (8) goal during their 2-0 win against William Jessup University at Cox Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016. Photo by Steven Ho
Gators dominate in shutout victory The SF State men’s soccer team found their rhythm and secured their first win of the season as they shut out William Jessup University 2-0. Head Coach Javier Ayala-Hil said that the most impressive part the victory was time of possession. The Gators outshot the Warriors a whopping 22 to eight which gave them several opportunities to score. “Ball control is the style that we’re trying to implement this season but it won’t be easy to do,” Ayala-Hil said.
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I’m impressed that no matter what players we put in, we maintain the same intensity and that is what made our team really deep.
Their first goal of the season came in the 43rd minute from midfielder Jordan Wusstig assisted by midfielder Johnny Villeda. “It came from a great ball by our right winger, Johnny,” Wusstig said. “It felt good and I was able to finish it.”
Jordan Wusstig
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by Jesse Saeteurn essej@mail.sfsu.edu
Wusstig wasn’t finished making key plays, as he laid out an assist to forward Richard Leon for another score in the 88th minute, right after he missed a shot. “I’m impressed that no matter what players we put in, we maintain the same intensity and that is
what made our team really deep,” Wusstig said. Defender Aydan Bowers believe the biggest difference between their first game they lost and this win was keeping their composure. “Compared to our first game when we lost, our emotions got the best of us and we were hot-headed,” Bowers said. “This game we controlled the tempo from the beginning, we kept possession and we were all over them.” Despite the victory, Ayala-Hil believes the Gators have a lot of room for improvement as they work toward their next game at home Sept. 8 against Holy Names University. “We’ll keep working hard and we still have a lot to work on so we’ll get back to work this week and get better,” Ayala-Hil said.
Women’s soccer blow a late lead, finish 2-2 SF State Gator’s sophomore goalkeeper Arianna Wesley (1) fails to block a shot from a Penguin player during their 2-2 double overtime tie against Dominican University of California at Cox Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016. Photo by Kin Lee
by Terence Scott tscott2@mail.sfsu.edu The SF State women’s soccer team blew a lead late in the second half to finish in a 2-2 double overtime draw against Dominican University of California at Cox Stadium on Sunday. Head coach Tracy Hamm said she thought her team competed hard and matched the other team’s intensity but let up late. “Today was one of those brutal physical matches. I think we were matching their intensity level,” Hamm said. “But we need to finish out games. I think we had some good ideas, but we need to keep our heads.” The Gators controlled the tempo for most of the first half, with solid team defense and smart passing. At the 42nd minute, substitute junior midfielder Sierra Sagasta got behind the defense to score off an assist from junior defender Laura Shea to give the Gators a 1-0 lead into the half. Sagasta wasn’t done scoring yet. She scored her second goal of the game off a perfectly placed cross from senior forward Autumn Fox at the 52nd minute in the second half. “Sierra did a great job getting on the end of some great sets,” Hamm said. “She was fantastic for us today. She executed the game plan.” “It’s what we practice every day, go all out to get goals,” Sagasta said. Sagasta did not start the game, but said Hamm makes sure that the players on the
sideline are ready to go when their number is called. “Coach Hamm lets us know, subs are brought into the game to make a change. Being a sub is a powerful thing,” Sagasta said. “And I just wanted to go hard and come in the game and make a difference.” Dominican University of California rallied late. Scoring both of their goals in the
match’s final 15 minutes to force the game into overtime. “I thought we played composed for most of the game,” Hamm said. “But we need to finish games. To give up two goals in 15 minutes is bad time management.” SF State led both overtime periods with total shots on goal 8-2 and almost won late with a goal from Autumn Fox, but she was
called for an offside penalty. The Gators’ next game is on the road Sept. 8 against Montana State. They will be searching for their first win of the season. “We need to win,” said senior midfielder Paige Yeider. “Ties are not okay. Every game counts, and we haven’t won a game yet.”