Fall 2014 issue 3

THE GATORS OUTLAST HOLY NAMES UNIVERSITY 1-0 IN HOME OPENER visit goldengatexpress.org September 10, 2014

Serving the San Francisco State community since 1927

VOLUME LXXX ISSUE 3

Privacy charges mount against former professor

NASHELLY CHAVEZ nashelly@mail.sfsu.edu

PRIVACY: Mark Landis’ attorney, Thanh Ngo, attempts to block his client from the cameras after his hearing at the Hall of Justice, Tuesday Sept. 9, 2014.

LULU OROZCO ohlulu@mail.sfsu.edu

SARA GOBETS / XPRESS

T &

he San Francisco District Attorney charged Mark Landis with a 16th count of invasion of privacy Tuesday after police arrested the former SF State professor in July for allegedly filming students while they used his restroom.

Assistant District Attorney Laura Carwile issued an expanded protective order which requires Landis to keep a distance of 150 yards and prohibits any form of contact with the 16th victim.

“The victims are scared and don’t want to be contacted by Mr. Landis,”

Carwile said in the courtroom.

Thanh Ngo, defense attorney for Landis, said the protective order was excessive since Landis has not contacted any of the other victims in the case.

Ngo added that Landis lost his job and had to move out of his Castro home since the charges were brought against him.

In court, Carwile said police seized Landis’ passport through a search warrant and that it is being used as evidence for the case.

Carwile asked that Landis not

request another.

In December, the University learned that Landis allegedly recorded students while they used the restroom during parties he hosted at his Castro home.

He was arrested by the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department (SFSD) July 24, and was later released on $100,000 bail.

Landis, who arrived late to the Hall of Justice for the hearing, was an accounting professor at SF State until his resignation July 18.

The hearing was the first time

Landis arrived in court since his arrest.

On a prior date, Ngo pleaded not guilty to 15 counts of invasion of privacy on Landis’ behalf.

“I don’t really want to talk to you,” Ngo said. “Any information I give you doesn’t really help me.”

The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office said they could not release any information on the case, which remains under investigation, but urged potential victims to come forward.

Landis is expected to appear in court Nov. 5 at 9 a.m.

Alleged campus Hockey boasts sole female player in league rape under investigation KYLE MCLORG kmclorg@mail.sfsu.edu

JENNAH FEELEY jennah@mail.sfsu.edu

& LULU OROZCO

ohlulu@mail.sfsu.edu

Police have opened an investigation into an alleged rape in a campus residential community reported last week.

University police have a suspect in the case, which has since been passed to the Office of the District Attorney of San Francisco, but no arrests have been made.

The San Francisco’s District Attorneys Office was not immediately available for comment.

The victim reported to police last Monday that the alleged rape occurred in the Village at Centennial Square. The victim was “drugged” at the time of the incident, which occurred at 6:25 p.m.

Aug. 29, according to the University Police Department Crime and Arrest Log. NOBODY CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

After dabbling in a little figure skating at nine years old, Emily Wilburn traded in her leotard for pads, joined the youth hockey club in her hometown of Stockton, Calif. and immediately dove in.

“I did a little figure skating when I was really little, but I didn’t like it,” said Wilburn, a 19-year-old junior and a center on the SF State Gators Hockey Club. “But then I tried on hockey skates, and that was a lot cooler.”

Though collegiate ice hockey is a sport divided by the line of gender, with 20 different schools boasting separate men’s and women’s ice hockey teams in the

TWITTER

@XpressNews

NCAA, SF State is home to the only female player in the male-dominated Pacific Collegiate Hockey Association (PCHA) this season.

Wilburn grew up just a few minutes away from an ice rink in Stockton, and that’s where she began her 10-year-and-counting love affair with hockey -­ - a love affair that took her all over California, including the Sharks Girls team in San Jose and even Southern California.

“There was a group of some other girls from NorCal who didn’t have a team, so we’d go down every other weekend for games,”

FACEBOOK /GoXpress

AMANDA PETERSON / XPRESS

ICE: Emily Wilburn is a new member of the San Francisco Hockey club of SF State at practice at Nazareth Ice Oasis in Redwood City Sunday, Sept. 7.

Wilburn said of playing for teams like the Lady Ducks in Pasadena and Anaheim.

But in all, Wilburn said

WEBSITE goldengatexpress.org

she only played four seasons on women’s teams.

GATORS CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

or scan here:

2

NEWS

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

SF State commits to changes in sexual assault policy JENNAH FEELEY

19%

jennah@mail.sfsu.edu

R

evisions to federal education policy changed how SF State addresses incidents of sexual assault beginning this semester, upholding a nationwide push for gender equity in college communities.

Under the policy, incoming students at universities must complete an online training program on the issue of sexual assault. Faculty and staff must be retrained annually and are required to report any allegations of sexual harassment or assault to a designated official—regardless of if the information is told in confidence.

Title IX is part of the Educational Amendments of 1972 and mandates every educational institution that receives federal funding to promote gender equity in its programs.

The changes to the federal policy, which were signed into law in March, categorize the issue of sexual assault as sex-based discrimination.

“The law that President Obama signed into effect more clearly linked the presence of sexual violence on campus as a form of gender and sex based discrimination,” said Title IX Coordinator Luoluo Hong. “I think the federal legislation was the result of increasing attention to sexual assault on campuses all over the country.”

According to the Campus Sexual Assault (CSA) Study conducted by the National Institute of Justice in 2005-2007, 19 percent of undergraduate women reported being a victim of attempted or completed sexual assault since entering college.

“I honestly think at most

Student population in fall 2010:

29,718

Student population in fall 2011:

Undergraduate women reported being a victim of attempted or completed sexual assault from 2005-2007 1

29,541

Student population in fall 2012:

30,500

2

3

4

5

2010 RAPE

2011 2012 2010

SODOMY

Total # of sexual offenses on campus from 2010-2012:

2011

21

2012 2010

SEXUAL ASSAULT W/ 2011 OBJECT

2012 2010

SEXUAL BATTERY

2011 2012

INFOGRAPHIC BY EVELYN CAICEDO / XPRESS DATA COLLECTED FROM UNIVERSITY POLICE DEPARTMENT, CSA STUDY & UNIVERSITY DATA BOOK

universities the policies around sexual harassment and sexual assault are problematic,” said Janelle White, director of San Francisco Women Against Rape and SF State women and gender studies lecturer. “It’s always been a very difficult issue for campus administration to get a hold of. I guess it can be an added push for universities who haven’t thought about sexual assault as an issue.”

CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT

“Nobody talked about it the next day”

The University Police Department (UPD) reported 21 incidents of sexual assault between 2010 and 2012 in addition to 14 incidents reported by the downtown campus, according to the 2013 Campus Security and Fire Safety Report. UPD is currently investigating an alleged rape, which was reported on campus last week.

According to Hong, the Title IX Office considers several factors

“There was someone crying and people were being interrogated,” said Queer Alliance Director Pablo Ramirez, who said he heard the incident recounted outside his office. “Nobody talked about it the next day.”

Residential Life directs all information to Title IX Coordinator LuoLuo Hong’s office, according to its interim director Kevin Kinney. “Her office will start the investigation and give us direction onto what the University does,” he said.

Recent changes to Title IX legislation require federally funded universities to address gender discrimination in their communities, primarily focused on issues of sexual assault and sexual harassment.

SF State adopted the policy changes

when determining consequences for sexual assault perpetrators including the severity of the incident, the number of times the incident has occurred, and the presence of drugs and alcohol.

“We are not a court of law, we are an educational institution,” Hong said, who also serves as vice president of Student Affairs and Enrollment. “We are not afraid to take this seriously. If we believe an

this fall to uphold the initiative.

“Every reported incident of sexual assault will be taken seriously and investigated fully,” said Hong. “We will ensure that both the victim is provided needed assistance and support, and that the accused is afforded all due process rights.”

Over the summer, all new incoming students were required to complete the Campus Clarity online training program that dealt with issues related to sexual harassment and sexual violence.

“The school had us go through this online course and they (Campus Clarity program) said that one in every four college women will get sexually assaulted,” said village resident Nathan McCanne.

Victims and survivors of sexual ha-

expulsion is necessary, we will take that action.”

Sexual assault victims can turn to different outlets on campus including The SAFE (Sexual Abuse Free Environment) Place, the Counseling and Psychological Services Center and the UPD. While Title IX requires UPD to disclose the identity of the accused perpetrator and the details of the incident to its office, the SAFE Place gives the survivor full control over what happens with the report.

“I don’t report anything to anyone,” The SAFE Place Coordinator Laurene Dominguez said. “My role is to give the students their rights. If they want to report I tell them where to report, what the process is for reporting. I educate people a lot on the Title IX process.”

Forty members of the SF State community went to The SAFE Place in 2012 for counseling and other resources to deal with violent sexual experiences, according to the 2013 Campus Security and Fire Safety Report.

Hong held an educational Title IX session last Saturday for students at the Leadership Symposium, an event open to all SF State students.

“The intent is to create a higher education institution that is accessible and safe and well for everyone regardless of their gender identity or their sexual orientation—that everyone has the right to be safe,” Hong told students at the session.

There has been no formal survey, beyond reported incidents, conducted to quantify sexual assaults at SF State. According to Hong, the first survey will take place this year.

rassment or sexual violence are encouraged to seek assistance from The SAFE Place, student health services, the counseling and psychological services center and the University Police Department.

“We encourage any individual who has experienced sexual harassment/sexual violence to report the incident as soon as possible,” said Hong in an email.

Ramirez has dealt with reports of sexual assault on campus and generally advises survivors to seek trained counselors.

“I have heard of a lot of different types of assault (on campus),” said Ramirez. “Not particularly rape, but there are definitely sexual assaults happening.”

NEWS

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

3

Associated Students Inc. president takes command after abrupt resignation

I

DANIEL RIVERA dmrivera@mail.sfsu.edu

mmediately following the resignation of the elected Associated Students Inc. (ASI) president, fellow board members expressed their support of Vice President of Internal Affairs Sara Padash stepping in for the job.

“I think she’s the perfect person to fill this role and be the face of this organization,” said Phoebe Dye, ASI board of directors member. “I have 100 percent confidence in her.”

Padash nominated Dye, former Representative at Large, to fill her vacancy as Vice President of Internal Affairs and the board confirmed her appointment Sept.

3, during their weekly board of directors meeting.

In the face of these new transitions, Padash said she considers former president Kenneth Collins as having played an integral part in shaping her as a leader and continues to keep a close relationship with him.

“Kenny and I worked very closely together,” Padash said.

“Not only did I see him as a colleague, but also a friend. My relationship with him has remained strong and I consider him a mentor.”

Padash has a history of community involvement before college where she assisted freshmen as they adjusted to high school life and raised money for athletes with disabilities. She saw ASI as an opportunity to continue her passion for student government.

“Being a very active student in high school, I wanted to continue my journey of student advocacy in college,” Padash said. “When I first came to SF State, I became an intern for the Board of Directors of ASI, which showed me what a great organization this is and the ability it has to really advocate for the students of SFSU.” Padash is currently majoring in Health Education, and hopes to further her education by pursuing a career in nursing after she graduates.

Her devotion to student government was solidified when

MARTIN BUSTAMANTE/ XPRESS

PRESIDENT: Newly appointed Associated Students Inc. president, Sara Padash, reacts to a joke during a board meeting Wednesday Aug. 27.

At the end of the day, all of us within ASI are here to serve the students. That will continue to be my main goal during this upcoming year.

Sara Padash, PRESIDENT OF ASI

she won the seat of Vice President of Internal Affairs during student elections in 2013, which she would later secure again with a successful re-election campaign earlier this year.

Business major Atzay Perez was unaware of ASI’s new leadership, but credited the organization for their past work in providing

students with resources.

“My only suggestion would be more involvement in school,” Perez said. “Make students more aware of the resources they (ASI) offers through social media, conferences and word of mouth.”

Although it is uncertain what surprises this school year holds for SF State, Padash reassured

students that she, along with the rest of the board of directors, would continue to work diligently for the University’s students.

“At the end of the day, all of us within ASI are here to serve the students,” Padash said.

“That will continue to be my main goal during this upcoming year.”

4

NEWS

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

University could face doubled water rates from new regulation TIMOTHY SMITH tsmith@mail.sfsu.edu

PHOTOS BY AMANDA PETERSON / XPRESS

PLAYTIME: (Top) Paola Cerna and Monica Villa ride the inflatable slide at the 3rd Annual Kick Off hosted by Associated Students Inc. (ASI) on campus Thursday, Sept. 4. (Bottom Left) Valerie Jauregui, 26, a staff member of ASI talks with Joshua Drake, a junior, at the 3rd Annual Kick Off. (Bottom Right) Sarah Pishny (left) and Amanda Nuzzo (right) speak to the crowd about the ASI merger.

LORISA SALVATIN/ XPRESS

IRRIGATION: A sprinkler head hides in the grass and brush across from the Cesar Chavez Student Center. Many of the irrigation systems on campus have been converted to reduce water use, says Sharon Daraphonhdeth, SF State sustainability coordinator.

C

ity utility officials approved double rates to take effect Oct. 1 for customers who do not reduce their water consumption by at least 10 percent of what they used during the corresponding month last year.

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) approved the mandate, which applies to customers with accounts specifically for outdoor watering, Aug. 26. SF State is one of 1,600 accounts in the Bay Area that will be affected.

According to Nick Kordesch, SF State’s sustainability coordinator, the University will comply with the mandatory restrictions and pursue new means of curbing consumption by even more than the minimum 10 percent reduction.

“Water efficiency has been a key focus area for the campus’ sustainability team for many years,” Kordesch said.

“Our grounds department and our facilities department have been preparing for a possible drought for a long time.”

The university achieved their water conservation goals by employing water-conscious landscaping methods such as planting drought-tolerant native plants and installing more efficient drip irrigation systems across campus, Kordesch said.

When combined, these changes to the physical layout of the school help reduce the amount and frequency of watering that goes into maintaining the landscape features.

According to a water usage log provided by the CSU Chancellor’s Office, SF State reduced its average monthly water consumption by almost 20 percent between 2007 and 2013, which is about enough water to fill an olympic-size swimming pool four times over.

SFPUC’s attempt to curb water consumption in the city comes after the State Water Resource Control Board passed a resolution in July that requires regional water suppliers to impose emergency water regulations on their customers.

According to SFPUC spokesperson Tyrone Jue, the state agency could charge suppliers up to $10,000 per day in penalties for not complying with the resolution.

Jue said the new regulation focuses

Our state is experiencing one of the worst droughts in the past century. We all have a responsibility to help conserve the limited supply of water.

Norman Yee, DISTRICT 7 SUPERVISOR

on curtailing the use of potable water resources on irrigation of ornamental landscaping and turf.

“While it’s a mandatory call for all of our retail customers, the new regulation will only be enforced on the 1,600 irrigation accounts,” Jue said. “Any use above that 90 percent allocation will be charged at two times the normal water rate.”

There are some exceptions to the new fee schedule. Customers who use water for edible food gardens will be exempt from the mandate and evaluated on a case-by-case basis, according to Jue. Likewise, residents who utilize non-potable water for irrigation will not have to worry about being charged under the new fee schedule that was adopted with the mandate.

The idea is to reduce the amount of potable drinking water that Californians allocate to maintaining landscape, so residents who rely on other sources will not be affected. Following their decision, the State Water Resources Control Board stated that in many parts of the state, more than half of daily potable water use goes to irrigation.

District 7 Supervisor Norman Yee said he supports the new regulations and commends residents who voluntarily chose to reduce their consumption over the past year.

“Our state is experiencing one of the worst droughts in the past century,” Yee said. “We all have a responsibility to help conserve the limited supply of water.”

ALMA VILLEGAS avillegas@mail.sfsu.edu

ASI spotlights campus merger at 3rd Annual Kickoff The campus quad turned into a carnival Sept. 4 as students leaped across a giant bounce house, tossed ping pong balls and competed in a human foosball tournament.

The Third Annual Kickoff, hosted

by Associated Students Inc. (ASI), catapulted SF State into the new academic year and publicized the campus merger.

Students cheered for the highlight of the event, the human foosball tournament.

In it, several teams competed for the golden shoe --a gold tinted sneaker-- that is a literal representation of the kickoff.

“We are really happy,” said Luis De Paz, the ethnic studies representative for ASI and coach for Hermanos Unidos, after his team received the tennis shoe.

Hermanos Unidos, which is a campus fraternity, managed to defeat five other teams with a total of 15 goals, according to De Paz. “It was a fun event. Now that we won, we have bragging rights,” added De Paz. Last year, sisters of the Alpha Phi, a national student sorority, won the obstacle course race and a pop culture trivia quiz to declare victory of the golden shoe, according to Erin Nalei, a member of Alpha Phi. “Alpha Phi were the only girls who played,” Nalei said. “We were the underdogs.”

In addition to the golden shoe, ASI raffled off $500 worth of prizes, among them a GoPro camera, which will be announced to a winner next week, according to Cesar Vasquez, the marketing manager for ASI. Besides the fun and games, the event also served to inform students about new changes to the campus.

“This is a publicity event to welcome back students and promote the merger between ASI and the Student Center,” said Raul Amaya, the interim director for ASI, describing the purpose of the kickoff.

ASI representatives remained behind an information table to tell students about the kick off and the merger and hand out USB drives with a promotional video.

After a lease between the University and the Cesar Chavez Student Center terminated in July, the alternative has been to combine the Student Governing Board (also known as Associated Students) and the Student Center Governing Board, explained Amaya.

“Now is the time to ask the students for permission,” Amaya said, adding that students will have an opportunity to vote on the merger at the end of the month.

“We really want the students to be informed,” said Amaya, who added that talking to students about the merger and the upcoming vote that they will make on it was an important part of the event. “We want to give them both sides and be as transparent as possible.”

Still, some students seemed to gravitate toward the free food, games and general festive atmosphere of the event, while going unaware about the merger.

“If the purpose of the event was to inform students about the merger, then it didn’t work,” said junior Jennifer Albee, who didn’t know about the vote despite visiting the ASI table.

The campus student body will vote on the merger at the end of the month, from Sept. 30 through Oct. 1.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

5

Chartwells donates to reduce hunger across the city TAYLOR LONIGRO

tlonigro@mail.sfsu.edu

C

ooking class just ended at Tante Marie’s Cooking School in the North Beach district of San Francisco and wedding cakes were on the agenda.

The owner of the culinary school, Mary Risley, stared at the seven beautiful masterpieces created by the hands of her talented students.

It would be a crime to throw the cakes away when they could and should be enjoyed by someone, she thought. Why toss perfectly good food when there are hungry people all over the city to consume it? Risley decided to take charge against the hunger here in San Francisco.

“I contacted my friend Carol in Berkeley who ran Daily Bread Project that was taking excess food to shelters and asked her advice on how to get a similar program going in San Francisco,” Risley said.

Since Risley’s epiphany in 1987, Food Runners continues to cater to the community today, literally.

Everyday, the San Francisco-exclusive organization serves as a focal point where volunteers, donors and recipients come together to help solve the issue of hunger in the community.

Businesses such as Zynga, Whole Foods, Cisco, Uber and Foxtail Catering are a few that regularly donate leftover perishable foods to Food Runners, where a truck driver and many volunteers

RYAN LEIBRICH / XPRESS

HUNGRY: Ed Sykes, volunteer at Food Runners, loads donated food from Trader Joes into their truck on Sunday, Aug. 31. Food Runners collects food that won’t be sold at supermarkets, restaurants, etc. and distributes them to people in need all over the city.

deliver directly to agencies and clinics to feed the hungry.

It’s not just big tech companies, farmers’ markets and supermarkets that donate their leftover goods to the organization though.

Schools such as Community College of San Francisco, University of San Francisco and our very own SF State all participate in the food-giving experience.

“I have been working with Food Runners for a couple of years now on and off,” said Robert Herndon, purchasing and receiving manager for Chartwells

at SF State.

Chartwells Higher Education dining services provide food for SF State’s three on-campus housing dining services: City Eats Dining Center, Café in the Park at Mary Park Hall and The Bricks at Mary Ward Hall.

Herndon began working with Food Runners after he was referred to them by Glide Memorial Church, another organization that uses the service.

“The experience has been pretty great,” Herndon said. “If I have donations that need to be

made, it’s usually around the holidays. I would contact (Nancy) and let her know that I had food to donate, then would provide someone to come pick up whatever is donated. They respond pretty quickly.”

Nancy Hahn, director of operations and volunteer coordinator for the organization said it is rewarding knowing that Food Runners helps fellow citizens in need.

“I really hope to see greater awareness of food waste and the oversupplying of food (including

the packaging involved) in the modern workplace model,” Hahn said.

Couple Ed Sykes and Ann Kirk have been volunteering for Food Runners for three years now, driving their navy blue pickup truck to the Trader Joe’s on Geary and Masonic.

Here, they pick up leftover meats, vegetables and fruits, dried food, eggs and more and deliver the goods to the Walden House in the Fillmore district.

This is followed by a delivery of flowers to St. Anthony’s dining room where they volunteer, serving food in the dining hall to whomever’s in need.

“We look forward to Sunday every week,” said Kirk, as she strategically organized boxes of apples, bananas and cereals to fit perfectly in the back of her pickup in the Trader Joe’s docking area. “When we volunteer for Food Runners, all sides end up happy. Ed and I get the satisfaction of helping those in need, and businesses and markets don’t have to waste their excess food and people are fed.”

After 27 years of reducing the hunger in San Francisco, Food Runners continues its booming business of transporting excess food to local agencies serving those in need.

“There is enough food in this country to feed everyone,” Risley said. “It’s a matter of distribution.

I want to see every morsel of excess edible food in San Francisco going to people who need it and not in the garbage.”

6

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

Professor creates art from cut-up magazine NICOLE PARADISE

nparadis@mail.sfsu.edu

A

fter two years of exploring the different meanings that could be found in his work, Assistant Professor Matthew Lipps combines art and photography to create HORIZON/S, which can be seen at the Secondhand exhibition at Pier 24, near San Francisco’s Embarcadero.

“I look at it for a long time, then I start cutting,” Lipps said, describing the method behind his art. The cutting process is all done by hand with an X-Acto knife. Lipps traces the magazine cut outs on cardboard and finds a background for them. “It’s a slow process,” added Lipps.

Lipps’ work is an act of collage, using three dimensional space and taking something out of one context and putting it in another to create something different.

Lipps’ HORIZON/S was first shown in 2011 and features about 22 photos all from American arts and culture magazine, Horizon.

“It is a metaphotography show, a photo show about photography itself,” Lipps said. “It’s about personal archives and how we relate to them.”

Inspired by photographer Ansel Adams, Lipps said he had an immediate connection to pho-

ERIC GORMAN / XPRESS

HORIZON: Matthew Lipps poses for a portrait with one of his works, a C-print (Chromogenic Print) entitled “Art” (2013), in the Fine Arts Gallery at SF State on Tuesday. Mark Johnson, Associate Professor of Art and the Gallery Director, unwrapped the print exclusively for the portrait. Lipps is an Assistant Professor of Art, and currently has an exhibit on Pier 24.

tography at a young age.

“I always wanted to be really creative and artistic,” he said.

Lipps began learning photography in high school after being encouraged by his mother, but it was when he attended the University of California, Irvine, that his passion grew.

Photography student Aurora Galvan, who took Lipps’ classes in the spring, said she already visited Pier 24 in August.

“As his student it is very inspiring and beautiful to see his work being displayed at Pier 24,” Galvan said. “He is very analytical about his stu-

dents’ work because he wants us to grow as artists.”

Academia has always been a strong part of Lipps’ formation as an artist and a person. He started teaching at SF State in 2010.

“Teaching art is the most amazing thing in the world,” Lipps said. “I am really fortunate.”

Lipps teaches various photography classes and on occasion works in the graduate program teaching Graduate Critique and Advanced Photo Seminar.

Lipps’ favorite part about teaching is being a mentor to students and having conversations about something that he is passionate about.

“I identify with the students when they come in thinking photography is this one very finite thing,” Lipps said, adding that he never pushes his own work on anyone.

Jessica Thomas, a studio art major, has also taken a handful of classes with Lipps.

“I really enjoy the way that he pushes me to do better in my art practicπe,” Thomas said. “I have learned more about the art and photography world and even my own art practice because of his teaching style.”

Last semester Thomas saw one of Lipps’ shows at the Jessica Silverman Gallery, but has yet to visit Pier 24.

Teaching at SF State continues to be of the most importance to Lipps, who takes his class to Pier 24 every semester.

Pier 24 opens their collection to the public. Guests can attend by making a reservation on Pier 24’s website. Lipps’ HORIZON/S appears in the Secondhand exhibition, which runs through May 2015.

Full fills The Depot’s first show The next performance by local bands at The Depot occurs Sept. 10, featuring Talk of Shamans, The Fronds, The Stoics and Bloody Holly.

ANNASTASHIA GOOLSBY/ XPRESS

CECILIA ABATE

The Depot is nestled next to the campus pub in a lower-level nook of the Cesar Chavez Student Center.

The location tucked away enough to avoid immediate overcrowding, but the lines for beer are often out the door and people are always milling around the venue to check out new music.

This week, The Depot drew a full crowd to its first live music show of September with performances by local bands Trails and Ways, dot Vom, Bobey and Two Kings.

Bobey opened the show Thursday, Sept. 4, with his gentle, quiet stage presence, but quickly grabbed the audience’s attention early on in his set.

“Do you guys want to hear a song that starts with a D, or one that starts

cabate@mail.sfsu.edu

with a B?” Bobey asked.

“Give us the D!” came a reply from the back. “You got it,” replied Bobey, without a hitch.

The crowd milled freely back and forth from the pub to the venue during his five-song set.

Bobey’s music is built around loops: he’s a one-man band with an electric-acoustic guitar, a variable vocal range and a set of pedals that he uses to distort and loop his music.

The effect created a dreamscape of sound that the crowd encouraged with swaying and cheers.

Second in line was a local band called Two Kings, who brought in a slow-jam set that pulled instrumental influence from both jazz and blues.

DEPOT: Lead guitarist and keyboardist, Hannah Van Loon, plays a set with Trails & Ways at The Depot’s Live Music event Thursday night, Sept. 4. Other bands included dot Vom, Two Kings and Bobey.

The band played facing each other for part of the show, wrapped up in the music and smiling.

The room filled completely for the third band, dot Vom, a five-piece group from the Bay Area who were armed with a keyboard covered in stickers and Christmas lights.

Danny Ricci, 23, is the lead vocalist for the group and says that they look for an emotional response to their music.

“I mostly aim for storytelling, in a really basic emotional sense,” Ricci said. “If we have managed to elicit any kind of emotional reaction from the audience, we feel pretty successful about it. Even if we made them cry. Crying is very important to dot Vom.” Ricci added that dot Vom’s music

can not be summed up in one song.

“If I were to give a super insecure disclaimer to a new audience member, it would be that none of our songs is fully representative of our whole sound,” Ricci said.

The crowd responded solidly to dot Vom throughout their set but swelled in size while Trails and Ways set up.

Keith Brown, 26, plays rhythm guitar for Trails and Ways and said the band aims for “full transcendence of body/mind and dancing” during their sets. Trails and Ways is from Oakland and appeared this summer at Outside Lands. “(We’ve) got a first LP to bring to the world before very long,” Brown said about the band’s current work.

8

OPINION

BRADLEY FOCHT

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

MICHAEL BARBA

PRINT MANAGING EDITOR mdbarba@mail.sfsu.edu

LAUREN SEWARD

ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR lseward@mail.sfsu.edu

EVELYN CAICEDO

ART DIRECTOR ecaicedo@mail.sfsu.edu

KAITLIN AGUILAR

ART ASSISTANT kaitlina@mail.sfsu.edu

SOFIA LIMON

ART ASSISTANT slimon@mail.sfsu.edu

FRANK LADRA

PHOTO EDITOR fladra@mail.sfsu.edu

SARA GOBETS

ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR scgobets@mail.sfsu.edu

NASHELLY CHAVEZ

NEWS EDITOR nashelly@mail.sfsu.edu

IDA MOJADAD

NEWS EDITOR idajane@mail.sfsu.edu

ANNA HECHT

A&E EDITOR ahecht@mail.sfsu.edu

MADISON RUTHERFORD OPINION EDITOR maddie@mail.sfsu.edu

THOMAS DE ALBA

SPORTS EDITOR tdealba@mail.sfsu.edu

MICHAEL DURAN

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR michaeld@mail.sfsu.edu

WILL CARRUTHERS

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR wcarruth@mail.sfsu.edu

RACHELE KANIGEL

PRINT ADVISER kanigel@mail.sfsu.edu

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

Spirit of Burning Man shines amid darkness FRANK LADRA

fladra@mail.sfsu.edu

For eight full days leading up to Labor Day, I lived in the Nevada’s Black Rock Desert with my personal belongings secured solely by the zipper of my tent. My trust was endowed to approximately 65,000 Burning Man attendees at the annual art and music festival that encourages event goers to embody the values of radical inclusion, gifting and civic responsibility.

Perhaps we can all benefit from adopting the guiding principles of Burning Man and kindle a community that inspires individuals to develop their powers of creativity, contribution and civic responsibility, to find harmony in one another and give back to the world community that exists beyond urban society.

This was the first of my seven years on the Playa with a specific press assignment, thousands of dollars of gear in tow and a memorized plan of action for what I hoped to accomplish during the week. Photo after photo, interview after interview, I devoted myself to the story and it developed with robust promise as the week came to a close.

Over the course of the week, I was reminded of the inherent good nature of the human beings who come to Burning Man to escape the stresses of urban living.

Random acts of kindness and generosity were happening all around me, and I looked forward to sharing stories with friends and loved ones upon my homecoming to the default world.

On Labor Day, less than 30 minutes after my return to San Francisco, my vehicle was broken into and all of my photography and electronic equipment was stolen, including the week’s worth of work that was to be written and later published the following evening.

I was devastated. I stood there in shock, my hands covering my open mouth, my shoes crunching the broken glass that had fallen onto the sidewalk.

How had I (or any of dozens of bystanders) missed the sound and sight of a theft happening in broad daylight near a busy intersection only 100 feet away?

With the help of my peers, we filed a police report as I sorted through the leftover chaos inside the filthy vehicle. As the minutes passed, I recounted more and more items that had been taken. In a choked up voice, I did my best to fake collectedness, but the terrified look in my eyes could not mask the realization that my most treasured assignment was inevitably gone.

I started obsessing about the what-ifs. What if I had just stayed in the van while the others unloaded the truck? What if I had carried my equipment with me at all times?

What if my stuff turned up later at a pawn shop, unscathed?

What if I never went to Burning Man in the first place?

That final thought struck me for a moment. Would I actually feel less sadness if I had not

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SOFIA LIMON / XPRESS

even experienced the previous week altogether?

I reflected back to some of the memorable moments I had encountered each day of Burning Man—the neighbor who was passing out cookies, the friend who shared some of their water, the complete stranger who hugged me in passing. The presence of unconditional love was abundant and unavoidable, yet in this very real moment, it had all been yanked from my consciousness, leaving me numb and defeated.

I was exhausted, emotional and at a complete loss for what I was going to do when I returned to the newsroom the next day, empty-handed.

The following morning I was met with dozens of sincere condolences from editors, reporters, photographers and professors. News of my horrific incident had spread like wildfire through the newsroom. On social media apps, friends and family from around the globe sent virtual hugs, encouraging me to not let this experience get me down.

My best friend texted me to announce he was starting an online fundraiser to collect enough money to replace all of the stolen merchandise. Three hours later, the goal had been accomplished.

I was beside myself with humbleness. Dozens of contributors, some I have never met, gave out of their pockets to help me in my time of need—without expectation for compensation.

The spirit of Burning Man flowed through my brain, restoring my faith in humanity, reminding me that my misfortune was but a brief hiccup in the grand scheme of life.

Sure, shit happens. There are some bad apples out there.

However, in retrospect, the amount of love and generosity that I experienced in just one week in the desert, paired with the immediate response of friends and family to my dire situation, taught me that there is more good than bad in this world.

Now, if only everyone could adopt the Burning Man spirit here at home.

JESSE GARNIER

MULTIMEDIA ADVISER jesse@sfbay.ca

SCOT TUCKER

PHOTO ADVISER tucker@kobre.com

EVA CHARLES

ADVERTISING & BUSINESS echarles@mail.sfsu.edu

ARUN UNNIKRISHNAN I.T. CONSULTANT arun@mail.sfsu.edu

SADE BROWNE

BART crime app won’t ensure commuter safety

CIRCULATION sbrowne822@gmail.com

SHAWN PERKINS

STUDENT GRAPHIC DESIGNER smperk@sfsu.edu

WRITE US A LETTER The Golden Gate Xpress accepts letters no longer than 200 words.

Letters are subject to editing.

Send letters to Madison Rutherford at: maddie@mail.sfsu.edu

ABOUT XPRESS The Golden Gate Xpress is a student-produced publication of the journalism department at San Francisco State University.

For more information or comments, please contact Brad Focht at: bfocht@mail.sfsu.edu

TAYLOR LONIGRO tlonigro@mail.sfsu.edu

After SF Weekly labeled the newest Bay Area crime-reporting app the “Instagram of Bad Behavior” for its role as a snitching tool, BART Watch is going to have some trouble gaining credibility with transit passengers as well as police officers.

In March 2014, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Board of Directors officially approved a multi-year contract with the company ELERTS Corp. to create the recently launched, BART Watch.

When riding BART, passen-

gers can text suspicious behavior discreetly to BART police. But, would a BART passenger dare text a report and take a picture of a masked person blatantly holding a gun to someone’s head? Doubt it. It is unlikely that anyone on BART would want to risk his or her safety to get a quick shot of something illegal.

Personal safety usually trumps pissing off a criminal.

“That sounds like a waste of my time and data,” English education major Shelbie Bradley

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KAITLIN AGUILAR / XPRESS

said of BART Watch. “I don’t want to be stabbed to death as a result of trying to snap a picture.”

While the concept is a great idea in theory, it is doubtful that the app will pan out effectively.

According to the BART website, riders have been requesting a way to reach out to BART police in an inconspicuous way when it comes to uncomfortable situations or suspicious behavior. But how are the police supposed to alleviate problems via text when the problem is occurring on a

train traveling at 80 mph?

“I guess we’d just treat it like a complaint,” said Deputy Chief Ben Fairow when asked what the police would do with texts from the app, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

But it just does not seem like the texts would help any immediate issues. It’s not like the police can teleport to the correct car in a moment’s notice.

To read more of this article, visit goldengatexpress.org

OPINION

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

SF State community is inherently tied to Ferguson PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DANIEL BARBA/ SPECIAL TO XPRESS

N

ALMA VILLEGAS avillegas@mail.sfsu.edu

on-white lives are not valued in our society, unless they are people like Beyoncé or Kanye West, in which case they are only valued because they generate big money. On the first day of classes, the Student Union of San Francisco at SF State intended to join in a nationwide student walkout in solidarity with Ferguson, MO. The nationwide call to action across campuses honored Michael Brown and what would have been his first day of college, while it simultaneously denounced racial profiling and police brutality.

However, due to a lack of time and organization, the event culminated with the members passing out leaflets and information rather than a walkout, according to member Devin Lee. Although the students’ objective to walk out didn’t go through, they nonetheless made a bold statement of solidarity with Ferguson.

The action could not have been more relevant to our campus and city community because of one person: Alejandro “Alex” Nieto.

In a university as diverse as ours, where more than 70 percent of the student population is students of color, demonstrating solidarity with Ferguson is necessary because there are plenty of black and brown lives here.

Nieto was a 28-year-old man who was fatally shot on March 21 by the San Francisco Police Department at Bernal Heights Park.

Nieto was a student at City College of San Francisco. He did not have a gun at the time SFPD stopped him in response to a call about a suspicious man.

The caller mistook Nieto’s Taser, which he legally carried for his job as a security guard, for a gun.

With an air of fear, SFPD proceeded to fire at least 11 shots at the brown man leaving his body “grossly disfigured and mortally wounded”, according to a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by

Nieto’s family against San Francisco and SFPD. By now the connection between Nieto and Brown should be obvious: both men were unarmed, young men of color who were brutally gunned down by the police who received impunity.

In both cases, irrelevant things were said to justify the crime following the killing. In the aftermath of Alejandro Nieto’s fatality, the police department justified the shots to Nieto’s body by saying that Nieto had pointed a Taser at the officers.

Likewise, the Ferguson Police Department released a videotape alleging that Brown had stolen $48.99 worth of cigars. That statement has not been proven true-- but that is not the point.

The facts are that in both cases unarmed men of color were murdered by an armed and militant police force. The facts are that these men are dead, and the ones responsible for their deaths have been spared of any consequences.

SFPD has yet to name the officers responsible for killing Nieto, and Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson is on paid administrative leave before he returns to duty.

If at this point you remain skeptical of the link between racial profiling, devaluing of nonwhite lives and police brutality, I urge you to make a quick search of the following names: Trayvon Martin, Ervin Jefferson, Rekia Boyd, Aiyana Jones and Pearlie Golden.

Those are too many lives lost to keep pardoning the police’s actions with excuses that the people killed were either threatening or were on drugs or had stolen something.

In the end, you will either think that people of color are barbaric people who provoke the police (and therefore their deaths), or that the police greatly abuse their power, particularly with people of color.

Next time there is a call to action on campus, those who realize the latter should be there to say that our lives matter and that we refuse to live in a culture of fear.

XPRESS YOURSELF WE ASKED SF STATE STUDENTS:

How did the events in Ferguson affect you?

Photos & Reporting by: Dayvon Dunaway

“

(The walkouts are) great because it’s making a statement in our society on an issue that has been silent for so long.

”“

GEOFFREY MALVEAUX, 21 DRAMA

Ferguson should have been a wake up call, I feel like most people

”

think that its a regional

problem but it can happen anywhere.

D’WANA STEWART, 24 BECA

9

10 SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 10 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT

Female gator known as a playmaker by male teammates The rest of her hockey career was on male-dominated squads, like the team she is now joining at SF State.

“Nobody even batted an eye. They were like, ‘Okay we have a girl. Welcome to the team,’” she said.

Team President Andrew Duenes said the Gators’ visibility on campus helped them recruit Wilburn.

“During the fall semester, sometimes we would all hang out by the rec field and pass the puck to each other,” Duenes said. “She actually approached some of the guys because they had their jerseys on and she said, ‘Oh, I want to join.’”

Wilburn got her first experience as a Gator playing some pick-up scrimmages against San Jose State last spring. Her years of experience showed immediately, impressing players on both benches.

“You honestly wouldn’t know, if you didn’t know she was a girl,” said left-winger Matt Gold. “I overheard a conversation from a couple guys from San Jose State that were like, ‘Did you realize number 7 on the ice was a girl?’ and the other person was just completely baffled.”

Gold praised Wilburn’s speed and aggression on the ice, noting that she dominated on the faceoff dot and showed off her playmaking abilities despite going scoreless through the scrimmages.

Ryan Murnane, a 24-year-old Gator defenseman with 14 years of hockey experience, heaped praise on Wilburn as well.

“She’s a really good center,” Murnane said. “She won 90 percent of the face-offs she had against San Jose State. I think Emily is kind of a utility player, you put her with anyone and she’s going to help them.”

Although women’s hockey is not full contact, Wilburn said her experience on boy’s clubs should have her ready for the hard checking she’ll face in the PCHA. Duenes said he saw Wilburn take a couple hard hits in the scrimmages against San Jose State, and she popped right back up.

“That’s definitely a disadvantage for me, that I’m one of the smallest people on the team,” Wilburn said, but added, “I’ve got a pretty good game understanding. That’s my strength.”

AMANDA PETERSON / XPRESS

NUMBER 7: SF State Hockey club’s new member Emily Wilburn practices at Nazareth Ice Oasis in Redwood city, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 7.

JOHN MONTOYA

jmontoya@mail.sfsu.edu

After a long offseason, SF State’s volleyball team looks to its small group of veterans to lead a large group of girls.

Jazmine Williams, Jacquie Brice and Melissa Horton are the team’s only three seniors, and all have high expectations for the upcoming season.

They all bring experience, leadership and desire to a young team that features ten freshmen and sophomores.

According to Horton, this year’s goal is to make regionals and finish top three in the California Collegiate Athletic Association Conference.

“I want to go out with a bang and play every match like it’s my last,” Horton said.

Last year, the team suffered its worst season in five years, finishing under .500.

Williams and Horton played for SF State in 2012 when the team cruised to a 21-9 record, only to be disappointed in the first round of the NCAA Regionals.

Last year’s addition of Brice gives the Gators an experienced setter who leads by example on and off the court.

In their new roles, the three seniors embrace the responsibilities that come with being the veterans on the team.

“We do a good job of holding each other accountable within our whole entire team showing our new players the culture of our gym and how things are run here,” Horton said.

Jazmine Williams, who spent all four years on the Gator team, embraces the responsibilities and

MARTIN BUSTAMANTE/ XPRESS

HOLDING THE COURT: (Left to right) SF State Volleyball coach Jill Muhe, Jazmine Williams, Melissa Horton and Jacquie Brice, Monday, Sept. 8.

Seniors shoot for regionals in their final season leadership roles that come with being a senior.

“Even though its only three of us, it works because there are so many (freshman) that they can come and trust us,” she said.

Second year coach Jill Muhe said the three seniors show leadership, dedication and progress

throughout their SF State careers, which got them where they are today.

“I think it’s important to acknowledge the fact that they have made it this far,” Muhe said.

“They have been committed to something that takes an enormous amount of effort and time man-

agement on their part.”

Brice said coach Muhe instilled a tough offseason conditioning program to get the team in shape. According to the seniors, the long hours paid off.

“Our whole team worked hard in the offseason, and she had a pretty strict summer workout

routine,” Brice said.

Horton added that coach Muhe pushed the team hard in practice, no matter the conditions.

“We were out in the pouring rain doing sprints,” Horton said.

“She would just stress to us that this might suck right now, but other teams aren’t doing this and it will pay off in the fall.”

For the three seniors, Muhe is the second coach of their collegiate careers.

Muhe, a former college and professional volleyball player, knows what it’s like to go through a coaching change midway through her career. That experience as a player helps her relate to what it’s like being a player and what her team goes through everyday.

“There’s always a transition period,” Muhe said. “We’re working hard, working on everybody getting on the same page and understanding what I want them to do as athletes.”

Brice expects the team to advance further into regionals, and for the team to leave everything they have out on the court by seasons end.

“I want to go back to regionals, get out of the first round and I want us to play like we have never played before,” she said.

Muhe lives by the mantra of working hard and always improving. She pushes her team to their limits, and gets the best out of them.

“Were always trying to get better,” Muhe said. “There is a saying that I’ve used before and that’s ‘You’re either getting better or you’re getting worse’ and we try really hard not to stand still.”

SPORTS 11

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

SOCCER

PHOTOS BY DANIEL PORTER / XPRESS

READY: (Left) Alex Palomino, left, of the Gators kicks the ball around Maddie Shelton of the Academy of Art Soccer team at Cox Stadium Sunday, Sept. 7.

(Right) Lauren Hayano of SF State dribbles the ball forward on the field, while Maddie Shelton of the Academy of Art Soccer team defends her at Cox Stadium Sunday, Sept. 7. SF State won the game 2-1, scoring the winning goal within the last 15 minutes of the game.

Women’s soccer revamps offense after league-worst output ALEJANDRO GALICIA DIAZ galicia7@mail.sfsu.edu

S

F State’s women’s soccer team recorded a league-worst 10 goals over all 18 games of last season.

This time around, head coach Jack Hyde made one thing clear: It’s time to score some points.

“What we’re trying to improve now is at goal-scoring,” said. “We feel we’re solid at the back (defense) and also in goalkeeping and at midfield. We feel we’re good there, but we need to get the goal upfront.”

Despite averaging less than a goal per game, the team’s defense held the group together,

grinding out a 7-7-2 Last season record. the team’s record The drive has been there every year, but against same-con“This team is a work-in-progress,” it’s so much more this year. I just want ference teams Hyde said. “All I was 6-7-3. to go all the way. can say is that this This season, team will work 10 of the 18 Elizet Ceja, hard, (and) they’re teams that SF TEAM CAPTAIN & ATTACKING MIDFIELDER committed to that.”

State face come During the from the CaliforAccording to Palomino, the offseason, the team’s forwards nia Collegiate Athletic Associteam is in prime physical shape. ation. worked together in order to “We didn’t just pass our improve their chemistry.

Last season many playfitness test, we pretty much “I’ve definitely been workers were in the training room destroyed it,” she said. “We’re ing with the other forwards,” recovering from injuries. just ready to go, we want to said Alex Palomino, a forward At the start of this season make the playoffs so it’s a lot for the Gators. “We’ve been every player reported to camp doing a lot of runs and working more drive for us and we eshealthy. pecially want to do this for our a lot on striking. It’s basically “This time last year we had coach.” our bond and our connection.” half of the team in the training The team also look to imPart of scoring more goals room,” Hyde said. prove its record against teams stems from increasing and For a few players on the from the same conference. improving the team’s stamina. squad, this season will be their

Men’s cross country fueled by low preseason ranking LIZ CARRANZA

ecarranz@mail.sfsu.edu

After finishing the 2013 season in eighth place in the West Region of the NCAA Division II Regional Cross Country rankings, SF State’s men’s cross country team enters the new season faster and stronger.

“They’ve done the summer training, so we are now prepared for the season’s training,” Lyons said. “Their focus and dedication will determine their success more than anything.”

With the fall season right around the corner, the Gators start the season ranked ninth in preseason rankings.

Co-captain Logan Smith said the team feels underwhelmed with the current standing, but that they will improve with three new additions that include freshmen Austin Magin, Andrew Selevos and transfer student Jesse Fenn.

“I feel strong and the entire team is looking great, especially the new guys keeping up with the older guys,” Smith said. “They have a lot of charisma, talent and are all doing great.”

The Gators aim to advance to the NCAA Division II National Championship this season and are ready to work hard to get there.

Last season, junior Benji Preciado missed Nationals by four seconds. He is determined to return and make up for his missed opportunity.

“I’m hungry to be back there,” Preciado said. “As a team I want us to get better so we can all go to Nationals together.”

The Gators’ first and last appearance at Nationals was in 2012, where the team finished in 22nd.

“I’m the last person that was in the 2012 team that went to Nationals, (and) I want to be back there,” Smith said. “This may be my last season running and I want these guys that have never been to Nationals to experience it.”

For now, the team is preparing for the 2014 season opener Sept. 18, where the Gators face off against Academy of Art and Cal State East Bay at Golden Gate Park’s Speedway Meadow course.

“That meet will be good for everyone to put on a uniform and ease into competition,” Lyons said.

last year to play collegiate sports.

These players have an added pressure to perform well.

The seniors’ main objective at the start of this season is to make the playoffs.

“It’s really exciting but there’s a lot of pressure because it’s my final year of eligibility,” said team captain and attacking-midfielder, Elizet Ceja.

“The drive has been there every year, but it’s so much more this year. I just want to go all the way. I know that all of the seniors feel the same way. It just pushes us every practice.”

SF State kicked off their season Sunday with a 2-1 victory over city rival Academy of Art.