Fall 2013 issue 5

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Student-run publication serving the San Francisco State community since 1927

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VOLUME LXXXXVII • ISSUE 5

Chancellor’s office pushes for Taser program

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elinker@mail.sfsu.edu

HILE CAMPUS POLICE

use pepper spray, guns, handcuffs and batons; SF State’s University Police pose another tool be added to their utility belt — the Taser — which would make the campus one of the last in the California State University system to be patrolled by Before this year, 17 CSU campuses were equipped with Tasers and now every campus has access to the weapon director of media relations for the CSU system.

“As things change in our system, we update our policies,” Uhlenkamp said. “Before the order is issued, there is conversation with the leaders in the building and often with our campus presidents. We’re just trying to keep up with changing technology and changing times.” to the President’s cabinet — nor when it would be discussed and, or, approved for implementation — in time for publication.

20-year-old man dies in shooting near campus

SFPD searches for an armed and dangerous suspect caught on Muni surveillance.

Follow story at GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

“Illuminated Library” exhibit illustrates literary works ayesha@mail.sfsu.edu

A three-dimensional map of Moscow, constructed of burnt pieces of literature and poems, is framed and mounted on a wall in the Fine Arts Gallery located in the Fine Arts Building at SF State.

The scene is artist Matthew PicNapoleon’s army in 1812. A quote from “War and Peace” lingers in bold red letters at the bottom of the

map, “The comet which was said to portend all manner of horrors and the end of the world.”

This is one of the pieces displayed as a part of the Illuminated Library exhibit, which opened Saturday, Sept. 21. About 30 people gathered at SF State for the opening ceremony to see the exhibit that showcases carefully selected art pieces from the Archives and Special

Performing with the masters

SF State music majors take the stage with David Shifrin and String Quartet

SEE PAGE

Gators chomp on victory

SF State men’s soccer took down top ranked team Cal State Los Angeles.

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SEE PAGE

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Collections from the J. Paul Leonard Library and other pieces from the California-owned Sutro Library.

“I think this is a great opportunity for students to come and see professional artists and their work,” said Sharon Bliss, curator of the exhibit and the Fine Arts Gallery manager at the University.

2 NEWS

09.25.13| GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

UPD Taser program goes system wide; usage left optional

SF STATE SPEAKS OUT HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY POLICE DEPARTMENT CARRYING TASERS?

•Tasers fire 2 probes (one straight, one at an eight degree downward angle).

•The average distance fired is 25 ft. The recommended distance is 15 to 35 ft.

•A 400 volt charge enters the body when hit.

•Tasers fire at faster than 160 ft. per second.

•A direct stun will cause impairment, but a shot fired from a distance (15 to 35 ft. away depending on the weapon), will cause complete incapacitation.

Source: Taser International TASER TRAINING

CSU RECOMMENDATION Uhlenkamp made clear, this was not a mandatory directive from the chancellor’s

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ALEJANDRA DELGADO, 17 UNDECLARED

in a scenario where they have to properly The implementation of the system-wide

I don’t think it’s necessary, we are students.

The Golden Gate Xpress was denied -

according to Nathan Johnson, former CSU Taser weapons are designed to have

NATIONWIDE USE

meaning that a person shot with a Taser

lice departments today are the newest mod-

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from a distance, as the weapon’s effect stopped short of saying which weapon

depending on how advanced the model is, -

JOSH VILLEGAS, 17 COMPUTER SCIENCE

away, depending on the weapon), will

nications specialist, indicated that each

Taser International, the company that

It’s kinda sketchy but at the same time it may make it safer.

Taser International’s statistics show

cians, investigators, law enforcement ex-

to determine how he or she wants to im-

In order to complete training, SF State’s two-day training session with Taser Interna-

Johnson, who now works as the chief of police for Sonoma State

CSU UPD Weaponry: ON PERSON: HECTOR NARVAZE, 19

have no other involvement with Earl Lawson, chief

UNDECLARED

A Taser seems a bit excessive, there is the downside, they could abuse.

any oversight for the University

Folding Batons

physical recovery from the -

California State Uni-

Pepper Spray

“The matter was taken to the CSU presiall the presidents

said proper training for Taser and other -

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“There’s no good tool,” Law-

system wide and

is only as good as -

Tasers

Uhlenkamp said there was no

still has a fairly

Firearms

or rise in crime that DANIEL ATWOOD, 21

doesn’t do anything;

COMMUNICATION STUDIES

Fuck that, I’ve been tased before, it sucks.

Photos by: Tony Santos Reporting by: Bradley Focht

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Handcuffs Source: CSU Monterey Bay UPD

Tools on the utility belt: The various items that your local UPD could have on hand.

NEWS 3

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG | 09.25.13

SPECIAL EDUCATION CREDENTIAL PROGRAM RECEIVES GRANT

News Briefs

STUDY ABROAD CONNECTION WORKSHOP

reported by Ida Mojadad ROMC HOSTS BANNED BOOK WEEK

ASI LEGAL RESOURSE CENTER OPEN HOUSE

CREATIVE STATE OPENING

TAIWANESE ALUMNI CREATE SCHOLARSHIP FUND

19TH AVENUE TRANSIT STUDY

SF State Crime Blotter Between 9/15 and 9/22 the University Police Department responded to 38 incidents. Here are some of the highlights.

9/16 Public Intoxication

culle010@mail.sfsu.edu

9/20 Resisting

9/18 Burglary

9/22 Medical

9/22 Suspicious Circumstance 9/20 Trespassing

4 NEWS

C

RAMPED FAR back into a corner of the Fine Arts Building, a group of students sit around a pair of blazing furnaces. John Wilkes, a student of the class, approaches one of the scalding containers and submerges a metal rod reveal a dangling molten bulb.

Working rhythmically, he twirls the metal rod back and forth across the workbench and tells his assistant how much air to blow through the hollow rod into the expanding material. With the help of some metal tongs, the familiar shape of a cup appears on the end of the rod. After some quick praise from instructor Nate Watson, it is smashed on for its next piece of art.

This is the glass blowing class at SF State, and the College of Liberal and Creative Arts has decided to shut it down.

“They’re cutting it (after Fall 2013) because they don’t know what we’re doing,” said Watson. “I think they don’t know what’s going on, and they don’t see us as part of what their future is.”

Watson claims the course, which is run through the College of Extended Learning, is an almost entirely self-suffrom the hefty $1,273 enrollment fee, as well as a variety of classroom sales where students sell their artwork made throughout the semester.

“We’re raising this money on our own.

We don’t get any of that from the school and we don’t have a tech that comes in, we take care of all of this,” said Watson.

However, this decision is hardly impulsive. While the College of Liberal and Creative Arts may just be getting 2002, leaving the course under administrative scrutiny, and keeping it in the hot seat for 11 years.

“Around a decade ago the department voted to eliminate courses in

09.25.13| GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

shawnw@mail.sfsu.edu

glass blowing, jewelry making, and small metals, all of them viewed more said Paul Sherwin, dean of the College of Liberal and Creative Arts. “While the latter two were eliminated some time ago, for reasons that are unclear to me, as well as to the Chair of Art (Gail Dawson) or to the Acting Chair (Paul Mullins) this semester, no previous chair had done anything about glass blowing.”

The course couldn’t lie in the shadows forever, and eventually the department with the recommendations from both Dawson and Mullins, Sherwin took the administrative motion to the dean of the CEL, where the decision became an untimely reality for members of the course.

While it appears as if this motion has been longer than a decade in the making, the timing of the decision appears strange to Watson, who claims that the interest in the class has never been higher during The class is not only growing in size, but has also expanded its appeal outside of art students. It currently features a nurse, a kinesiology major, a Google Scientist, and an engineering student, as well as many others from various walks of life.

But while Watson takes pride in his diverse range of students, it has ultifor Sherwin, who worries the University may not be allocating its resources properly by funding students whose major and educational career is not directly impacted by this course.

The course, over the last eight fall and spring semesters, has only had 161 students register for the class. Of this total, just 47 of the students have been matriculated from SF State, and only “Several of them engage in glass blowing many hours throughout the week, even when the class is not in session. We have been providing, at a considerable cost to the University, an opportunity for them to pursue their hobby, a vocation, or to produce work they can sell. I believe the University should be

making better use of its resources, both dollars and space,” Sherwin said.

While Sherwin’s assertions may seem to cast a harsh light upon a course that is searching for a Cinderella story, Watson still defends the necessity for the class in the art curriculum, claiming that the stigma and negative perception around the class doesn’t come from facts, but from lack of education about what the course operates and what it offers. A heavy accusation considering it’s aimed towards educators.

Minami Oya, a nurse, also makes it abundantly clear that she feels that glass blowing is more than just a class that should be overlooked. Still wearing a shirt with the slogan “I Heart SFSU Glass,” Oya was also a principle participator in the on-campus protest in defense of the course that took place Sept. 19.

“A lot of glass blowers use the term addicted to the glass, because it’s really captivating,” Oya said. “For me, it was like falling in love with a person, al-

most. There was something that grabbed me deep inside of my heart and I wanted to know more about this glass.”

But the class receives, perhaps, no greater educational compliment than the fact that John Wilkes, a computer scientist working for Google, takes solace in both its artistic and cognitive challenges.

“It’s a more intellectually based approach to life. And as a result it’s been starved for resources,” said Wilkes. “I’d love to have more undergraduates come through because it is a wonderful medium to do art in.”

While Watson admits the decision he and his students aren’t prepared to

To help Watson and the members of the class, you can sign a petition located on their website at www.sites.google. com/site/sfsuglassprogram

NEWS 5

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG | 09.25.13

Assembly bills drive toward immigration reform

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ggonzale@mail.sfsu.edu

undocumented and makes them kind of vulnerable to

HEN JACKELINE Monroy was in high school, a cop pulled her father over for his burnt out headlight. The car was then impounded because he didn’t have a driver’s license, and the family couldn’t afford to reclaim the vehicle.

That’s when Monroy, an undocumented immigrant and now SF State business management student, came to realize her family didn’t have the privileges she thought they did. The privilege was not owning a car — it was owning a license. the car, her family had to resort to public transportation.

Soon, undocumented immigrants in California may be able to escape the same situation. Three major bills passed by the California legislature await approval from Gov. Jerry Brown: Assembly Bill 60, which grants driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants and allows them to obtain liability insurance that would protect them and others in automobile accidents; AB 1024, which allows undocumented immigrants to practice law and AB 4 (also known as the Trust Act), which prohibits local law enforcement agencies from holding nonviolent offenders for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Alejo, passed the state assembly after a few last-minute changes, including the requirement that the new licenses carry a disclaimer identifying the bearer as eligible for Currently, nine other states and the District of Columbia issue licenses to undocumented immigrants. without a disclaimer.

Monroy found out about the passing of the bill from a petition on Change.org. She also realized many of her peers weren’t aware of it either. Despite the two-decade

this was happening. One coordinator blamed it on the mainstream media for not reporting it.

SF State Professor Carlos Salomon, who teaches a grassroots community organizing class in the Ethnic Studies department, said he was surprised and wondered why these organizations weren’t aware of the legislation.

Salomon acknowledged the lack of media attention and questions what kind of media students consume, saying there is a generation gap.

Salomon. “I think that’s a result more of the younger He also suggested the students might be unaware of the bills’ passage because the bills don’t represent comprehensive immigration reform and might be considered a sell-out move. push by immigrant advocates to pass such laws, political groups active in immigration reform at SF State were unaware of their approval.

Improving Dreams, Access, and Equity (IDEAS), the undocumented and AB 540 support group on campus, along with two historically political organizations — Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano/a de Aztlan (MEChA), of the bill’s passage.

They did, however, express their skepticism of the marked licenses.

“I think that brings up questions. In other cities we can’t say, though, that every town or every city in Caliwork with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) ChA coordinator. “It really singles out people who are

to drive even if they don’t have a license.

Opponents of this bill and others like it claim giving privileges like the ability to drive to undocumented immigrants rewards and encourages people to enter the country illegally. don’t know, and frankly I don’t care. Because we’re talking about people going to jobs, supporting their families. I don’t see anything wrong with that, whether you are going to continue to drive anyway. So let’s give them Monroy agrees with Salomon that it is a small, but vor of distinguished licenses, the business management student said overall, it’s worth it.

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6 A RT S A N D E N T E RTA I N M E N T

09.25.13| GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

Cinema grad breaks into costume industry Amanda Ramirez, 26, watched a group of men push and shove each other on the Fruitvale BART Station platform.

In mid of the roughhousing, the cinema

“I was sitting there thinking well there

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cer Caruso’s uniform.

When Director Ryan Coogler called cut to talk to actor Michael B. Jordan, Ramirez grabbed a needle and thread out of her set bag. She asked the 6-foot-2-

of her favorite television shows, “Lost,” Kevin Durand, to sit down so she can sew the button back on. She said he was ready to go, and with a quick thanks, Durand returned to his intense scene. Inside, Ramirez felt pure excitement, she said.

time. Cool,” Ramirez said. “It’s super minuscule, but it was probably one of the coolest moments.”

Before Ramirez started designing “Fruitvale Station” and Tim Burton’s upcoming “Big Eyes,” she attended SF State and graduated in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in cinema. But it wasn’t until her senior year when she changed her cinematic interests from video editing to costume design.

“I got to a point where the technology ran away from my brain,” Ramirez said.

“Fashion was always a hobby. A friend

asked me to do wardrobe for a short, then apparently word got out I do wardrobe. I thesis projects.” gig came from fellow SF State cinema alumnus and Woolside High School friend, David Larsen. The 24-year-old chose Ramirez to be the costume designer for the short he co-wrote and directed, “The Break-Up Message.”

“From a director’s point of view, Amanda was great to work with. She is very proactive and hard-working, and she’s already making a name for herself in nitely ask her to be my costume designer again. My creative partner, Anthony Berk, and I are currently writing another short, and once the script is done she’ll be one of Already a hit costume designer among her peers, Ramirez got her big break in the tion assistant for Kaboom Productions.

She used her time as an intern to network “I was on a commercial set and I was still a PA. I bumped into the location manager for ‘Fruitvale’ and we started talking,” Ramirez said. “He told me to give him my information and that he was going to forward it to Aggie Rogers, and when he said Aggie Rogers I was like holy shit.”

Agnes “Aggie” Guerard Rodgers is a local Bay Area costume designer best known for her Oscar-nominated work in “The Color Purple” and blockbusters including “Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi,” “Beetlejuice” and “Fruitvale

faustino@mail.sfsu.edu

Station.” Ramirez credits Rogers for taking her under her wing in the local wardrobe industry, and Rogers is impressed by the budding costumer.

“We did hire Amanda as an intern for ‘Fruitvale Station.’ She came to work with us again for our prep on ‘Quitters’ for the week of prep and helped out doing returns and getting our costume truck ready,” Rodgers said. “Amanda is a lot of fun to be around and has the perfect personality for the job. I know she wants to be a costume designer and is working her way there as we speak.”

As a seasoned costume designer, Rodgers describes the realities that Ramirez will face in the industry and offered advice.

“It will not be easy for her sure. It never is.” Rodger said. “The costume designer is in charge of so much but one must be able to be on a set and not cause too much attention to your department and get jobs done easily and without much fuss. Be prepared. Figure things out ahead of time. Have an open mind; you will deal with so many kinds of people. Be smart.

Be kind.”

Ramirez understands the struggles ahead, but with all of her recent success, she instead feels more thankful for the opportunities she’s been given. business unless they have an armor of steel,” Ramirez said. “Right now it’s great, it’s awesome, it’s fantastic. It happened pretty quickly considering I only graduated three years ago from college and I’m moving up the chain so quickly. It’s awesome and I’m grateful.”

Books bind artwork in library exhibit

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HE central thread that tied the artwork together were books, or pages from

books, and the ways various artists illustrated their art.

“When you think of libraries and books you sort of have a skewed idea of what you would expect when you walk in here,” said David Funk, a graduate student at the open-

ing ceremony of the exhibit.

Amid art enthusiasts at the opening event were the artists themselves.

“I’m very happy to be here,” said Enrique Chagoya, a painter, print maker and featured artist in the Illuminated Library exhibit. “This exhibit contains a lot of thought-provoking material, especially with books or works on paper in general, and when you are in universities, you need to be exposed to multiple ideas.”

As viewers made their way toward the center of the exhibit, they came across a dark area sectioned off from the rest of the artwork displays a video piece of the artist, Kim Anno, immersing a history book of Nebraska into water. As the book is held in the water it dispers-

es green clouds of ink. While these clouds cover the book little by little, the artist whispers short phrases from the book pertaining to the conquering nature of humans.

“It’s a very short piece, it’s only about three and a half minutes, and it’s mirrored so you just get lost in this meditation,” Bliss said. “The whispers almost affect you more than if she were speaking.”

Funk, who worked previously on the BookSmart exhibit comments on how similar the galleries’ messages are.

“What we’re doing is taking the theme of art and literature and exploring that through our regular collections and special collections that students, teachers, faculty, all have access to,” Funk said. “What is fascinating about this exhibit is that it really does take all aspects of the book and interprets it in different ways from collage to photographs to paintings or children’s books, that’s what I really found captivating about this show.”

Gallery admission is free and is open until Oct. 17.

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG | 09.25.13

A RT S A N D E N T E RTA I N M E N T 7

Virtuoso, string quartet teach Master Class

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F STATE MUSIC majors, invited to play by their professors, hit the stage last Friday, Sept. 20 to get critiqued from Yale professor and clarinetist David Shifrin for the May T. Morrison Chamber Music Center’s Master Class with the Alexander String Quartet. for more ‘cause it’s more than just our normal teachers who hear us every day,” said Ashley Ertz, a music major with an emphasis in oboe perfor-

Check out the audio slideshow at GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

tieman@mail.sfsu.edu

mance. “Now it’s new people who we them all on our own without personalities or anything.”

Shifrin joined the master class after being invited by Sandy Wilson, lecturer at SF State and cellist for the Alexander String Quartet, and Richard Festinger, composer and professor at SF State. The master classes are free to the public and act as a resource for the entire community.

“Occasionally we’ll also invite ensembles to come and visit us from the school of the arts and sometimes from San Francisco Conservatory. We will have students who will also come

over from the Crowden School and other distinguished programs,” Wilson said. “David Shifrin is an absolutely in the world today and we’re very honored to have him here as a guest artist playing.”

Shifrin will be performing with the Alexander String Quartet Sunday, Sept. 29 opening the 56th Morrison Chamber Music Center’s Artist Series. enna Theatre in the Creative Arts Building at SF State and is free to the public.

“In a way it gives the University more credibility as a music school. It’s fantastic because the higher the caliber the guest artist the higher the caliber of concerts every music student gets to observe,” said Lucas Bailey, music major with an emphasis in clarinet perShifrin here, it’s a very good reminder why we’re all here, why most of us are here and that’s to perform music professionally.”

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8 OPINION

09.25.13| GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG STAFF EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF arrodrig@mail.sfsu.edu

PRINT MANAGING EDITOR jonaramo@mail.sfsu.edu ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR loda@mail.sfsu.edu ART DIRECTOR hnall@mail.sfsu.edu PRINT COPY CHIEF haydee@mail.sfsu.edu ONLINE COPY CHIEF jordanh@mail.sfsu.edu PRINT PHOTO EDITOR sbenedic@mail.sfsu.edu

ONLINE PHOTO EDITOR mhendric@mail.sfsu.edu NEWS EDITOR jdt@mail.sfsu.edu

NEWS EDITOR cpalmer@mail.sfsu.edu

A&E EDITOR faustino@mail.sfsu.edu

Legalize driver’s licenses for non-citizens to assure safety California will soon become the tenth state to offer driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants. The bill, which Gov. Jerry Brown signaled he would sign, will enable an estimated 3.5 million non-citizens in California to become legally registered drivers within the state, and obtain liability insurance that would protect them and others in automobile accidents.

The mix of narrow and windy streets, less drivers urgently trying to make their way certainly does not help the situation. In a city where driving safety should be nothing but increased, opening an avenue for undocumented immigrants to legally drive will do nothing but help.

To get a drivers license, everyone has to go through written and physical tests that demonstrate their knowledge of basic vehicle safety. Allowing undocumented immigrants the ability to go through the same process will no doubt create safer drivers on the road, something San Francisco and the Bay Area as a whole should encourage.

With 65,000 undocumented students graduating high school each year, the passage of this bill certainly affects students at SF State. With 89 percent of SF State’s stu-

Critics of this bill would argue citizen’s taxes will be spent toward a service for non-citizens. What’s forgotten is that undocumented immigrants will drive with or without driver’s licenses and insurance.

The only way accidents are decreased is if everyone on the road is properly trained and driving responsibly. Taxes spent on driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants is a service toward citizens as well.

The fact that auto insurance would be available to non-citizens after the passage of this bill is crucial. Being that a driving record is necessary to obtain auto insurance, allowing more people to obtain a driver’s license will allow more to have auto insurance. This means more liability and security for those who get in car acci-

dent population living off campus, according to CSUMentor, a high volume of those students are driving themselves to campus.

San Francisco is by no means the safest city to drive in the United States. A report in 2009 said 3,745 people were injured or killed for the highest in the country. For a city about seven miles long and wide, that’s about 79 people per square mile.

San Francisco’s undocumented immigrant population was 30,000, compared to the Bay Area’s 563,000.

With such a high population of undocumented immigrants in the Bay Area, making sure they are allowed the same driving provisions as the rest of California’s residents will create safer roads.

kharuta@mail.sfsu.edu

There is no question that the passage of this bill will where, including SF State students commuting to school.

The extension of the legal process to millions of Californians will put more drivers on a safer path, and will do no less than create a more secure driving climate for everyone.

OPINION EDITOR smolmud@mail.sfsu.edu SPORTS EDITOR srubin@mail.sfsu.edu MULTIMEDIA EDITOR danelson@mail.sfsu.edu

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The Golden Gate Xpress accepts letters no longer than 200 words.

Letters are subject to editing.

Send letters to Sam Molmud at: smolmud@mail.sfsu.edu

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 Adrian Rodriguez at: arrodrig@mail.sfsu.edu

Refugee aid must trump military action in Syrian conflict

“

The great tragedy of this century,” is the Syrian Civil War, High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres. He is

rising casualties, but the scale of humanitarian devastation both in Syria and in the surrounding region.

Three resolutions face the international community on how to handle this comhumanitarian assistance or abstinence.

For the U.S., military intervention is problematic and doing nothing is morally

munity’s best solution is to provide humanitarian assistance to the millions of refugees. gees taking shelter in surrounding counleave Syria per day and nearly 5 million are internally displaced.

Resources including food, water, shelter and basic medical needs are diminishing so quickly that assisting even a small percentage of the 6.8 million needing humanitarian aid, is becoming impossible. ing the region for almost three years. It is a result of a fallout from the Arab Spring, when rebels in Syria tried to overthrow Bashar al-Assad’s oppressive regime.

Unfortunately for the rebels, Assad’s army is backed with Russian arms and gains military support from Hezbollah, an Islamic long and violent.

culle010@mail.sfsu.edu

Syrian rebels have had no such luck.

Although military intervention seems ideal in retrospect of U.S. involvement in loss of U.S. lives, increased violence in Syria, expenses and violation of international law.

The U.S. stalled talks of military intervention, but Secretary of State John Kerry assures “the United States still reserves the right to strike” if Assad doesn’t relinquish his chemical arms. The same deal was posed to Saddam Hussein concerning his alleged nuclear weapons stockpile in the early 2000s. tion on chemical weapons as a “red line,” and Assad’s cross of it would bring Western military retaliation. The Assad regime used Sarin gas, a deadly nerve agent, on civilians Iraq and others, haunt the U.S. military’s proposal. Also U.S. military intervention al law, as it did with the Iraq war.

Intervention is expensive. The U.S. would likely use Tomahawk missiles shot from ships in the Mediterranean to target Assad. The price of one Tomahawk is

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drone strikes, in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and elsewhere show that they rarely come without civilian bloodshed.

It would mean an increase in violence for Syrians, like poking a stick into a giant beehive of chemical weapons and heavily armed militants. If the U.S. removes Assad from power, there will inevitably be a violent power vacuum that would make the unstable country more volatile

proval of military intervention, it is already happening in indirect ways. The U.S. military trains rebels in Jordan while Russia supplies the Assad regime with heavy weapons, whether directly, or indirectly from Iran, to Hezbollah on the front lines.

The humanitarian option is best, but the idea that aid can only come from the U.S. is imperialistic. Peace in Syria is the responsibility of the international community. camps in the region and ensure refugees would also deter spillover in surrounding volatile countries. troops to checkpoints throughout the country and key residential areas, would ensure a safer passage for escaping refugees. This happens in many African countries.

The worst option is doing nothing. With Rwanda, the world did nothing. Whether or not foreign military should involve itself, the international community cannot deny the humanitarian crisis taking place 20-30 percent of the structures in Syria are destroyed while others are being used as shoddy shelters.

Sixty percent of the hospitals in the country have zero capacity and in the northern battle zones, 70 percent are destroyed.

Pharmaceutical production has ceased, meaning people are dying from treatable overcrowded hospitals and camps.

“Boots on the ground” is regarded by most as a last resort, but in Syria, it may be necessary and probably, unavoidable. The choice we must make as a global community is whether or not those boots carry guns.

OPINION 9

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG | 09.25.13

Cover letters provide biggest boost to obtain jobs

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OST OF US CAN’T GET past “To Whom It May Concern” and “My name is…” when starting our cover letters, granting us less than a second glance in the application stage.

Cover letters are tricky business in the world of job applications. They provide a chance to put together everything you can’t in a résumé.

Yes, a hiring manager will be able to see your job experience and years in college on a résumé, but a cover letter is a chance to show off your soft skills, talk in detail about projects that would apply to the job and write a sentence that woos your employer.

Which is the hardest part. How do you write a cover letter that doesn’t blend into the stack? with an employer. It’s the initial display of your skills beyond the bullet points on your résumé, giving you a chance to talk about your soft skills and the experiences you’ve

blah major…” Ew, boring. Having a fresh start to your cover letter is a great way to stand out. Audrey Cooper, managing editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, has seen every kind of résumé and cover letter. “Don’t repeat your name and reiterate your entire résumé,” said Cooper. “I know some ‘how-to’ websites say this is OK. It’s not. It’s boring.”

Cooper recommends anecdotes to start your

Ready to

Launch

A WEEKLY CAREER COLUMN BY NENA FARRELL

What’s at the top of the cover letter? The name of the actual person who you’re writing to, which you need to know and get right. There are some employers who throw out résumés titled with “To Whom It May Concern.” Google any position and voilà! You have a name, a chance to scope out what they’ve been up to, and to show your interest in the company you wish to work for. the one that reels them in to read your entire letter.

Don’t just write “My name is blah-blah, I am a blah-

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you learned in your internship or a mentor who inspired you. Or maybe you grew up homeless and worked your way through college. Tell me something that will give me an idea of what you are like as an employee.”

Follow up this great hook with your background: who you are, what you’re applying for and why you’re gosh-darn perfect for it. Remember — they’re not just looking to see your experience, but to see if you can solve the problems they have. Use the body of a cover letter to snapshot your skills and expertise, and how you would apply those to the

Just because it’s a letter doesn’t mean you should write a 16-page love-note to the company. Outline all the points you want to hit, and go through them in the clearest and most effective way possible.

Possibly one of the best tips from Forbes’ article “6 Secrets To Writing A Great Cover Letter” is that you should always send it in PDF form, nothing else. Word docs and the like can be edited and sometimes will look different on someone else’s computer; using PDF, you have complete control over the appearance of your letter.

Keeping things clear is especially important if your cover letter is sent in the email body.

Nobody wants to open up a wall of email, so it’s best to keep it on the shorter side if that’s your requirement.

Overall, the best cover letter will showcase that you’re well informed on the company and took the time to research who’s there and what they’re up to.

“I think you can tell when someone is being authentic — when they really want to work for me,” said Cooper. “When I get cover letters from people who say they also hate clichés, I know they’ve probably read my anti-cliché Twitter rants.

That tells me they’ve made extra effort, which probably means they would do the same if given a job.”

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09.25.13| GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG MEN’S SOCCER

Tough matchup ends in shutout Gator victory

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cuemura@mail.sfsu.edu

F STATE’S -

WOMEN’S SOCCER

FRIDAY Sept. 27

SF State v Cal State Stanislaus 4:30 p.m.

Warrior Stadium Turlock, Calif.

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MEN’S SOCCER

SF State v Cal State Stanislaus 7 p.m.

Warrior Stadium Turlock, Calif.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL SF State v Cal State LA 4:30 p.m.

The Eagle’s Nest Los Angeles, Calif.

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SATURDAY Sept. 28 MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY 9:50 a.m.

Roy Griak Invitational St. Paul, Minn.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL SF State v Cal State Dominguez 7 p.m.

Torodome Carson, Calif.

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SUNDAY Sept. 29 WOMEN’S SOCCER

SF State v Cal State East Bay 11:30 a.m.

Pioneer Field Hayward, Calif.

MEN’S SOCCER SF State v Cal State East Bay 2 p.m.

Pioneer Field Hayward, Calif.

SCOREBOARD Men’s Soccer v Cal State LA

won 1-0 v Cal State Dominguez Hills lost 3-1

Women’s Soccer v Cal State LA

won 2-1 v Cal State Dominguez Hills

For coverage, go to

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tied 0-0

Cross-Country

Sonoma State Invitational 2nd out of 6 teams.

Men’s cross-country runner Harjit

Women’s Volleyball

v UC San Diego lost in 3 sets 20-25, 12-25, 19-25 v Cal State San Bernadino lost 3 out of 5 sets 25-20, 17-25, 19-25, 25-19, 13-15

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GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG | 09.25.13 WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Gators side out in backto-back home losses

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HE GATORS were underdogs in their own house this past weekend, losing to nationally ranked teams UC San Diego (#8) and Cal State San Ber-

matches of the season at The Swamp.

The Gators fell in three sets to the UC San Diego Tritons (9-1) Friday, then watched victory slip away again the following night in the last two the Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes (6-4). SF State is now 5-5 overall and 0-2 in conference matches, and sits last in California Collegiate Athletic Association rankings.

“To play these two teams is a tall order at any part of the season,” said SF State head coach Jill Muhe. “I am happy with the way we bounced back from (Friday’s loss) and played a hard fought match against CSUSB.” The Gators knew going into the weekend that Friday’s match would be tough. The undefeated Tritons are off to one of their best starts in program history and rank eighth nationally in both kills (14.65/set) and assists (13.58/set). set and even pulled ahead several times before ultimately losing, 20-25.

UC San Diego’s outside hitters Danielle Dahle and Sophie Rowe had three less than the entire SF State team combined, allowing the Tritons to maintain a comfortable lead and ultimately win the match (25-20, 25-11, 25-19). to play and played well,” Muhe said.

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“They’re pretty much in mid-season form right now during preseason, and that makes any team hard to beat.”

Unfazed by the loss, SF State came out the following night ready to take on Cal State San Bernardino, the number one team in the CCAA last year (24-9).

The Coyotes countered their efforts to tie the score but never led, allowing the Gators to pull away, 25-20.

San Bernardino picked up the offense in the next two sets, beating them handily (25-17, 25-19), but SF State didn’t call it a night. The two teams went point for point in the fourth set before SF State middle hitter Kaileen Mejia put the Gators ahead with six crucial kills, clinching the set (25-19)

belonged to the Gators, but the Coyotes managed to catch up. With the score tied 13-13, The Swamp fell silent; one mistake could cost either team the game.

San Bernardino then had two quick kills, sealing their victory, 15-13 (3-2).

Despite the loss, SF State is optimistic about the match.

“I think we passed well,” Muhe said.

“I also think we scrambled a lot better than the previous night and did a lot Melissa Horton, who had 13 of the Gator’s 60 kills against San Bernardino, saw the loss as a learning experience. ing and coming together as a team better,” Horton said. “And we’re going to continue

Freshman athlete spotlight Krista Forte: Volleyball

aspect of the match.”

SF State will travel down south this Friday and Saturday to play two more backto-back games against CCAA opponents, Cal State L.A. and Cal State Dominguez Hills.

“It’s going to be another tough weekend,” said outside hitter Jaclyn Clark.

“Every team is going to be our number one opponent right now. We’re just going to go out there and play hard.”

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Krista Forte was recruited by the Gators from Dana Hills High School in Dana Point, Calif. The libero/defensive specialist has got great instincts on the court, according to head coach, Jill Muhe. “She puts herself in good spots on defense so that she can make plays,” Muhe said. Forte’s defensive skills will be an asset to an SF State volleyball team that’s looking to improve on last year’s 21-9 season; the team currently sits last in the California Collegiate Athletic Association rankings.

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