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October 8, 2014 ISSUE 7 VOLUME XCIX GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
Serving the San Francisco State community since 1927
Student killed in drive by shooting
A
DANIEL RIVERA
dmrivera@mail.sfsu.edu
LULU OROZCO ohlulu@mail.sfsu.edu ELIZABETH CARRANZA ecarranz@mail.sfsu.edu
MEMORIAL: Jesus Millan and his sister (left) pay respect to Mark Madden at his uncle’s home in East Palo Alto, Calif. Monday, Oct. 6. HENRY PEREZ / XPRESS
year and a half passed since Marquis Madden had seen his son, but he missed his flight by three minutes and instead found himself stuck last Friday on a seven-hour layover in Atlanta. That’s when he learned that his 20-year-old son, Mark Madden, had become the victim of a fatal drive-by shooting at the front doorstep of his uncle’s East Palo Alto home. “I heard the news while I was waiting, and it gave me time to deal with it,” Marquis said. “I don’t think I would’ve took it too well if I were to get off the
plane, turn my phone on and see all this chaos.” East Palo Alto police responded to reports of multiple shots fired at the 1100 block of Laurel Avenue at 5:08 p.m., where they found Madden shot and killed last Friday, according to Ralph Thomas, an East Palo Alto police detective. A sophomore and biology major at SF State, Madden is remembered by his father as a straight-A student and active member of his church. He was the first member of his family to attend college and would read to younger children at the
Campus reforms rape policies
YMCA. “A lot of kids looked up to him because he was just a great, courageous happy guy,” said Marquis. “He was a role model—just like a young Nelson Mandela cut down before his time.” On Monday, a longtime friend approached memories inscribed on a bottle of Hennessy and a group of candles arranged in the shape of a heart, just feet from where gunshots struck and killed Madden. HE CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
Alumnus’ band plays at Hardly Strictly for first time NICOLE PARADISE nparadis@mail.sfsu.edu
JENNAH FEELEY jennah@mail.sfsu.edu
EMILIA ROSALES eer@mail.sfsu.edu
LULU OROZCO ohlulu@mail.sfsu.edu
A lifetime dream finally blossomed for Dave Rapa, a former SF State history major, when he performed live alongside his bandmates in The Sam Chase and the Untraditional, at the 14th annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. Rapa, 39, attended SF State from 1996 to 1999 but Rapa was introduced to Sam Chase, the lead vocalist of The Sam Chase and the Untraditional, in 2011.
IDA MOJADAD idajane@mail.sfsu.edu NASHELLY CHAVEZ nashelly@mail.sfsu.edu
President Barack Obama brought the issue of sexual assault on college campuses to light with new legislation at the start of the year, requiring universities to view acts of sexual violence as gender-based discrimination. SF State has begun to comply with the nationwide policy change through an expansion of resources and raised awareness practices. SEXUAL CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
AMANDA PETERSON / XPRESS
STRUMMING: Michael G. plays the guitar in front of the Towers of Gold Stage at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in Golden Gate Park Sunday, Oct. 5.
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NEWS
OCTOBER 8, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
Facebook revisits Real Name Policy D
JENNAH FEELEY
jennah@mail.sfsu.edu
rag queens kicked up their heels in celebration of a victory over Facebook’s Real Name Policy at San Francisco city hall today. The social network promised to adjust protocol after a meeting with LGBT activists yesterday. Facebook has been under fire for weeks over its Real Name Policy, which allows users to report accounts for displaying false identities. In early September, members of the LGBT community felt targeted when many were reported for not listing their legal names. “I want to start by apologizing to everybody who had their accounts messed with over the past few weeks. We’re going to fix it,” Facebook’s chief product officer Chris Cox said at city hall. “I think we should have acted a lot more quickly and there is a lot of things we need to fix about the way we deal with knowing who’s real and who’s not on Facebook.” Last month, numerous users received suspension notices because they were not using “real” names. This move barred policy violators from their photos, messages and posts. Users could only reactivate their profiles if they listed their legal names. “I pretty quickly started noticing some of my friends—many of whom I’ve known for years—disappearing from Facebook,” SF State alumnus and Harvey Milk LGBT President Tom Temprano
said. “Mostly it was a lot of drag queens, performers and DJ’s.” Prominent drag queens lead by Sister Roma, a well-known personality in the drag queen community, began campaigning against the policy online and many joined in the effort. According to activist Lil Miss Hot Mess, members of the group included domestic violence survivors, transgendered teens and people with stalkers. “I think privacy and safety go hand in hand for many of the people we worked with, but for everyone it’s really about having choice in who one interacts with and on what terms,” Lil Miss Hot Mess said. The disgruntled drag queens called on the community to stage a demonstration at Facebook’s Menlo Park headquarters, but a meeting between community members and Facebook officials Sept. 17 postponed the protest. Temprano, along with Supervisor David Campos and other activists, addressed his concerns at the meeting. “The first meeting we had with them was not the most productive for a number of reasons. I don’t think they came in ready to make changes—they came in to talk about their policy and tell us why it’s there,” Temprano said. Facebook officials granted suspended accounts two weeks to comply. Many changed their profile pictures to an image
FRANK LADRA / XPRESS
LADY IN BLUE: Sister Roma, joined by fellow drag personalities at San Francisco City Hall, expresses her gratitude for Facebook’s decision to revisit its Real Name Policy, making it possible for drag queens and kings to maintain their online identities Friday, Oct. 2.
that read “#mynameis” to garner attention and continued to criticize the policy on social media for denying people the right to self-identify. The mass of displeased users grabbed Facebook’s attention, leading the company to reevaluate the policy. They met with activists for a second time Wednesday morning and vowed to reformat the reporting process. “There are still definitely kinks to be worked out as the technical side of our discussions are explored, and I’m not holding my breath until I see some of these agreements actually implemented, but I do think there is a sincere interest in making this better for everyone, and not just drag queens,” said Lil Miss Hot Mess.
The policy is meant to block users from using false identities for bullying, scamming and impersonation, according to Cox. His speech outlined ways Facebook will try and differentiate between authentic identities and what he calls “bad actors.” Users will have a much harder time mass reporting profiles and those reported will have more time and help to fix any issues. “I trust in Facebook, I believe that they are genuinely committed to working with this community to make sure that the changes that need to be made are made,” Campos said. “What I appreciate about this resolution is not just that Facebook is saying ‘we’re going to do it’, but ‘we’re going to do it working with you.’”
CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT
‘He was a friend when you needed him the most’ “All my life he was there,” Millan said. “He’s made me who I am in showing me the world isn’t all bad. He was a friend when you needed him the most.” Before college, Madden wrestled and played football at Sequoia High School in Redwood City, Calif. The SF State student was known for his honest nature and had ambitions of becoming a doctor. “Last week we were talking about how he wanted to become a doctor and there was so much he wanted to get done,” said Javier Kirksey, who knew him for three years. “I heard about it on Friday and it’s just sad. He’s gone way too soon. That was my boy.”
Madden could often be found in the Gymnasium at SF State, where he played basketball during open gym hours. “I was greatly saddened to hear of Mark Madden’s death, and shocked by the violence of the tragedy,” said SF State President Leslie E. Wong in an email. “In higher education we focus on the future and on improving lives—when the future of one of our own is cut short, it is acutely painful.” In a statement following the incident, Interim Dean of Students Mary Ann Begley encouraged grieving students to visit the Counseling and Psychological Services Center for support. Police have opened an
investigation into the incident and could not release any more information at this time. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact the East Palo Alto police. “Words can’t really describe a person. You’re a three part being; heart, body and soul,” said Kirksey. “Mark was more than that. He was smart, blunt—not in a negative connotation, (but) in a positive way—and he was funny. He always had jokes.” A GoFundMe has been established for individuals who would like to contribute to Madden’s memorial services at www.gofundme.com/markmaddenfund.
HENRY PEREZ / XPRESS
FATHER: Marquis Madden discusses his son’s passing in front of a family member’s home in East Palo Alto, Calif. Monday, Oct. 6.
NEWS
OCTOBER 8, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
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UPN swats mosquito problem with mint ALMA VILLEGAS
R
avillegas@mail.sfsu.edu
esidential Life at SF State is fighting back against a constant swarm of mosquito attacks that have plagued University Park North residence halls for years by planting mint-plant gardens to repel the insects. “My left eye looks like I got socked in the face,” said UPN resident Candy Cheatham, whose face is swollen from mosquito bites and does not want to attend class because she is embarrassed. Her roommate Deedee Crawford said visits from the exterminator were futile as their mosquito problem persists. UPN resident assistant Carmie Javier is spearheading Minty Fresh Beginnings, a Residential Life program she planned after learning that mentha plants provide a cheap and natural alternative for repelling mosquitoes. “Instead of complaining I did my research,” Javier said. “I put two and two together and came up with something that
LORISA SALVATIN / XPRESS
GREEN THUMB: SF State gardening specialist Linda Jo Morton holds the mint plants that will be planted in what she called a homeopathic and ecologically sound way to repel mosquitoes in University Park North Monday, Oct. 6.
could benefit the community and not just me.” The University agreed to provide the necessary tools and plants for the garden, so long as Residential Life provided the people to do the work, according to Javier. They plan to cultivate the garden behind 175 Buckingham Way with
two mentha plant varieties, Chocolate Mint and Kentucky Colonel. But the mentha plants alone will not ward off mosquitoes, according to Linda Jo Morton, the gardening specialist for University housing. Rather, mosquitoes are driven away by the burning smell of dry mentha
plants. “I am skeptical,” said lecturer John R. Blair, commenting on the effectiveness of the plants in taming the mosquito problem. Blair teaches the World of Plants course at SF State and had not heard that mentha plants repelled mosquitoes. He
said the most effective ways to deal with mosquito insects are to either get rid of stagnant water, a common breeding ground for mosquitoes, or to use repellents to prevent female mosquitoes from biting. “The main thing about mosquitoes is that they breed in water,” said Student Health Services Director Alastair Smith, who advised people to protect themselves from mosquito bites by using repellents or wearing long sleeves and pants. In July 2013, a former RA named Jamie Robbins tried to organize a program that involved filing complaints en masse to the Department of Public Health, pressuring the University to fix the problem. But when Robbins transferred to another job position, she dropped the effort altogether. “It’s so much worse than you think,” said marketing student Chris Leicester who moved out from UPN after multiple complaints to management and monthly visits from pest control. Javier hopes the garden will be useful to residents as teas and home-cooked meals even if the mentha plants do not eliminate the mosquitoes.
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NEWS
OCTOBER 8, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION
Sexual assault, SF State and the nationwide shift
Jan 1, 1990 - The Jeanne Clery Act The Clery Act, also known as the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act is created in 1990. The act requires colleges that receive federal funding to disclose campus crime and safety information to the public.
Jan 13, 1994 - The Violence Against Women Act The act establishes an office on violence against women and provides federal funding for investigation and prosecution for cases of sexual assault. The act is reauthorized in 2000, 2005, 2012 and 2013.
Apr 3, 2011 - Slut Walk Rallies SlutWalk co-founders Heather Jarvis and Sonya Barnett organized the first rally in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in response to an officer’s advice for women to not dress like sluts. Since then, similar rallies begin to pop up nationally and globally.
Mar 7, 2014 - Campus SaVE Act The Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act is signed into law as a provision under the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. It requires campuses to embrace new reporting requirements, new preventative measures, and new disciplinary actions. The act also requires the education of teachers and students about sexual violence.
Jul 1, 1992 - The Campus Sexual Assault Victims’ Bill of Rights Also known as the ‘Ramstad Act’, congress enacts the Campus Sexual Assault Victims’ Bill of Rights. A part of the Higher Education Amendments of 1992, the law requires all universities that receive federal funding to give sexual assault victims certain rights.
April 1, 2010 - National Sexual Assault and Prevention Month President Barack Obama proclaims the month of April as National Sexual Assault and Prevention Month.
Jan 22, 2014 Sexual Assault Task Force President Obama creates the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault.
Aug 29, 2014 - Alleged Sexual Assault/Rape reported at Centennial Village University police respond to the incident Sept. 1, according to their crime and arrest log.
Sept. 1, 2014 - Open Investigation Deputy Chief Reggie Parson updates Xpress Sept.12, regarding how UPD responds to allegations of sexual assault on campus. “The case you’re referring to is an open case so we cannot provide any details at this time. However, the incident is acquaintance related and there is not an outstanding related risk to the campus community,” he says in an email.
Sept. 9, 2014 - “Carry That Weight” Columbia Daily Spectator publishes a video of Emma Sulkowicz, a Columbia University student who was allegedly raped by a fellow student in 2013. Sulkowicz carries a mattress around campus until her alleged rapist is expelled or volunteers to leave as part of her senior thesis. Sept. 19, 2014 - “It’s On Us”
Sept. 28, 2014 - ‘Yes Means Yes’ Gov. Jerry Brown signs the bill into law that provides a clear definition of what consent is. The law clarifies standards of sexual assault in the state of California.
The Obama Administration launches the “It’s On Us” campaign with the purpose of combating sexual assault on college campuses.
Sept. 29, 2014 - Case closed
Current Case Legislation National Events
Visit goldengatexpress.org for the Sexual Assault Package
CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT
University police closes the alleged sexual assault case on Monday, Sept. 29, according to Deputy Chief Reggie Parson. “Right now we’ve consulted the District Attorney and the case is actually closed. The District Attorney viewed the case and there were no charges,” Parson says during a meeting with Xpress staff Oct. 2.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY KAITLIN AGUILAR & SOFIA LIMON / XPRESS
THE BIG PICTURE One in four college women have reported surviving rape or attempted rape according to One in Four. This statistic resonates through a rejuvenated national conversation on college sexual assault, which prompted Obama to institute the Task Force to Protect College Students from Sexual Assault in January. Recent amendments to the Violence Against Women Act, the Clery Act and Title IX are geared toward the creation of more gender equitable environments at universities by combating sexual violence. “The presence of sexual violence on a campus is considered to be inconsistent with gender equity,” said SF State Title IX Coordinator Luoluo Hong. “So if you have students who are experiencing sexual violence, it actually impedes their ability to be a student, to remain a student or to be a fully participating student.” Under the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act, college campuses must make public reports of sexual assault to help their communities better understand the scope of the problem. The SaVE Act also requires universities to provide staff and incoming students prevention and awareness programs regarding sexual violence.
California became the first state to redefine consent for cases of sexual assault with the Sept. 28 passage of the ‘Yes Means Yes’ law, which stipulates that an absence of “no” does not constitute consent while an affirmative “yes” does. SF State already follows similar policy as outlined by the California State University in June, so the ‘Yes Means Yes’ legislation does not radically change campus procedures, Hong said. Hong’s office is responsible for monitoring and tracking each reported case and must also provide necessary remedies, counseling and other resources for survivors. “The law now requires us to be systemic, to look at this at a big picture,” Hong said. “That’s the job of the Title IX coordinator, to look at all of the cases that get reported and to respond much more proactively.” Further prevention efforts include an educational course for first-time SF State students. In addition, student organizations such as fraternities, sororities and sports teams are expected to be trained according to a list of recommendations from the California State Auditor by the end of the academic year, at which point the state can evaluate the University as a whole.
CASE CLOSED On Sept. 1, a call from the Village at Centennial Square came in to the SF State University Police Department, prompting an investigation into an alleged acquaintance-related rape. Deputy Chief Reggie Parson said that police closed the investigation last Monday after the district attorney viewed the case and decided against charges for the alleged Aug. 29 occurrence. There was no outstanding risk to the campus community, Parson said. Hong could not specify whether the Title IX office have or will conduct an administrative investigation.
REPORTING SEXUAL ASSAULT As with the Sept. 1 case, UPD is responsible for handling reports of sexual assault within the SF State jurisdiction. In 2013, four incidents of rape—all in the residence community—were reported to the police agency, according to the latest SF State Campus Security and Fire Safety report. Regardless of whether the UPD, Title IX office or a sexual assault advocate receives a report, all are driven by a philosophy that provides choices for victims to feel safe and regain control on situations. “They’ve had so much taken away from them, you want to kind of give them every opportunity to kind of have that support,” said Parson. Officers are trained to inform victims of their options, including the right to halt the investigation at any point. “If they want the case to continue to go, we’ll go with it,” Parson said. “We’ll put all the pieces together, see how much evidence we have to corroborate the situation and let the district attorney make a decision.” Police must pass on the report to SF State’s Title IX office, but would withhold the name of the victim if requested while the office conducts a separate administrative investigation. The office can follow up with the student if given access but will only receive general information
on the case if the victim chooses anonymity. All University employees, however, are considered mandated reporters and must disclose the names of those involved if alerted to an alleged sexual assault, which is how Title IX receives most cases, according to Katon Dalton, interim equity programs and compliance manager. Only physicians, mental health counselors, clergy and sexual assault victim advocates, like SAFE Place Director Laurene Dominguez, can offer strict confidentiality and are not legally required to notify the office, according to Hong. Yet, if the case is transferred to the Title IX office they are required to follow up and assign an investigator to collect evidence, talk to witnesses and create an impartial and factual report. Because Title IX holds a 51 percent standard of evidence while criminal investigations hold a 99 percent standard, they are independent and may reach different conclusions, according to Hong. Expulsion is not off the table if the University feels like it is warranted, she said. Whether an investigation is halted or ongoing, SF State offers remedies for students to feel safe on campus, including changes to class schedules or residential room assignments. “Knowing that a person has been assaulted—that is a moment of utter vulnerability and trust to share,” Hong said. “The initial act is an utter violation and a complete rehauling of your world view, and then the next step is to have that courage to tell somebody.” Additional reporting by Alma Villegas
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SPORTS
OCTOBER 8, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
Injuries pile up for Gator hockey club THOMAS DE ALBA tdealba@mail.sfsu.edu
SARA GOBETS / XPRESS
COLD-AS-ICE: Gator defender Brian Lu, #15, is wheeled off the ice on a stretcher after sustaining a hard hit during a game against the Santa Rosa Junior College Polar Bears at Snoopy’s Home Ice in Santa Rosa, Calif. Friday, Oct. 3.
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fter two weeks of rough defeats and brutal injuries, the SF State hockey club’s season changed from one full of promise, to one full of questions. The team endured backto-back losses to the San Jose State Spartans and Santa Rosa Junior College Polar Bears in
blowout fashions, however the team’s 0-2 start is the least of its concerns after losing two players who were carried out with injuries by ambulance from both games. The injury bug first struck the Gators Sept. 27 in Fremont when forward Paul Kline suffered a deep slice above his kneecap after a big collision
against the Spartans. “I’d say it’s just been a lot of bad luck,” said head coach Ryan Papazian. “We’re a young team, and a lot of these guys are a little bigger than us, so we don’t want anybody getting hurt.” The team remained in high spirits despite Kline’s injury, however the trend continued
Friday night against the twotime reigning Pacific Collegiate Hockey Association champion Polar Bears when a Polar Bear defender dealt a vicious blow to SF State’s Brian Lu, causing Lu to hit the back of his head against the boards. Teammates rushed to Lu’s aid after he was unable to get up, and called an ambulance to take him to the hospital, marking the second Gator trip to the hospital in two weeks. “That’s hockey,” said Team President Andrew Duenes. “He’s going to be all right. He had a pretty bad concussion, but said his neck is OK, so that’s good.” The hit came late in the second quarter after the Polar Bears already built an insurmountable lead. Papazian said hockey is inherently physical and dangerous, but the hit that lead to the injury at that point in the game was excessive and unnecessary. “If one of my guys did that crap, I’d bench them on the spot,” he said. “It was pretty dumb on (the defender’s) part, because now he’s at fault.” Kline, the safety officer for the Gators, was frustrated when he called an ambulance for his fallen teammate on the ice. He said if the team could, they would have a trainer to tend to the players when things like this happen. “It’s unsafe not to have a trainer. I got hurt last week, and
this is the second time we’ve had a serious injury,” Kline said. “I really wish the school would pay for a trainer or something, because this is ridiculous.” The disgruntled Gators lingered around the locker rooms briefly after its 18-0 defeat to the Polar Bears to discuss whether or not to cancel the upcoming practice. With a diminished squad, the team will use its next two weeks to recover and prepare for a rematch against SJSU. After facing some of the best teams in the PCHA, Papazian said the team will use the experience to shape up its offense and improve as a team. “It isn’t going to get any tougher than this,” Papazian said after the loss to SRJC. “The team is seeing what the league looks like, and these experiences will add grit to the team, and get us to where we expect to be.” The Gator’s next match will take place Oct. 24 at the Nazareth Ice Center in Oakland, at the home opener for SF State. Despite losing by double digits to the Spartans in the season opener, Papazian expects his team to bounce back. “That last score doesn’t even matter to us anymore,” Papazian said. “We know we can win against these guys. We beat them twice last year, so there’s nothing that says we can’t do it again.”
Gator athletes bounce between sports and studies ELIZABETH CARRANZA ecarranz@mail.sfsu.edu
For SF State student athletes, wearing a Gator uniform takes as much physical work on the field as it does mental work in the classroom. Despite the tribulations that come with being a student athlete, last semester saw 72 student athletes make the more prestigious dean’s list out of 106 Gators who earned a spot on the honor roll. In total, there are about 230 Gator athletes at SF State. “Find something that you want to focus on and go after it. There’s a lot of distractions that come when you’re trying to balance school and sports,” baseball infielder Danny Souza said. “I have priorities and I want to succeed whether it’s in baseball or in my future with finance. I know where I want to go and I’m able to look at those things and get my priorities set.” Souza, one of the 72 Gators to make the list last semester, received the California Collegiate Athletic Association All-Academic Award three times. He juggles the responsibility of balancing a full load of classes with demanding practice schedules and a rigorous season. All SF State student athletes are required to have a 2.0 grade point average or better to
avoid academic probation and maintain eligibility in any sport, according to the 2013-2014 Student Athlete Handbook. All athletes who are under a cumulative 2.3 GPA, or are first-time freshmen, are required to log three hours of study hall each week. If they miss any of their required study hall time, they will not see the field come gameday. Repeat offenders have the possibility of losing priority registration. “In Division II, we strive to have the student athlete succeed academically and on the field,” volleyball coach Jill Muhe said. “On the road, I’ll be a prompter of exams to make sure the athletes stay on top.” The Gator Academic Resource Center, where student athletes have access to computers, printers and advising for academics and personal issues that may draw away their focus excelling on or off the field, is one of the many resources the University provides for athletes. This semester, the GARC is consistently packed with 60 to 80 student athletes studying in the center each day. “The goal of the center is to provide a comprehensive academic support program for student athletes here at San Francisco State,” said Apryl Guisasola, academic coordinator of the center. “Academics is a focus here, and we want
student athletes to be students first. We want them to succeed academically and have a good experience.” Student athletes who struggle academically can discuss the causes of their low academic performance with Guisasola who, depending on the student’s issues, schedules a series of meetings where a student athlete reports progress made inside the classroom. “I’m really big on empowering students to learn and see advising as a way of teaching them how to do things themselves so they can become independent and self-reliant,” Guisasola said. “We’re not here doing things for them, but instead empowering them to be able to do it on their own.” SF State biology professor Heather Murdock has taught a numerous amount of student athletes. She said that strong communication between student athletes and professors avoids conflicts about missed classes and helps maintain academic progress. “They’re good at making up the material, and I find that they are very responsible,” Murdock said. “I know it’s challenging to balance (school, practice and games), but I think they are very motivated students that love their sport and are willing to give up some social time to be able to do everything.”
ERIC GORMAN / XPRESS
STUDIOUS: Kaylan Lane, a power forward on the SF State women’s basketball team, reviews her kinesiology homework at the athletics study hall in GYM 210 Monday, Oct. 6.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
OCTOBER 8, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT
HARDLY STRICTLY
Festival brings good vibes, good music, good people “We hit it off very well,” Rapa said. Over the past few years, Chase contacted Rapa to do some substitute gigs for the band and Rapa soon developed a strong passion for performing. Last June, Chase invited Rapa to join the eight-member band as the bass player. “Dave is one of the most positive people I have ever met,” Chase said. “It also doesn’t hurt at all that he is one of the most incredible bassists I have ever come across. He is a powerhouse and was built to make music.” Hardly Strictly annually hosts about 100 bands, performing across seven stages, for an audience of over 750,000 people coming from all around the world, according to the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass website. The festival is a three-day event full of free music, good food and fun. This was not only Rapa’s first time, but also the band’s first time performing on stage at the festival. “To be able to join up with this band at this exciting period in their career, where a lot of the momentum and hard work that has been building up, it’s amazing to be a part of and I’m really glad to be able to perform the festival with this amazing group of musicians,” Rapa said. The band brought the crowd to their feet Sunday morning at the Arrow Stage for its entire 40-minute set. “There’s no better feeling than be with close friends where you can all sing and dance together to one of the best local bands,” said Madeline Edwards, a fan standing front row. “A beautiful time was had!” The idea behind the festival sprouted in the spring of 2001 AMANDA PETERSON / XPRESS when founders Jonathan Nelson and Warren Hellman, accompanied by Dawn Holiday and Sherry Steinberg, two women heavily involved in Slim’s music club in San Francisco, met for lunch and imagined the free, community-invested music festival. “A bunch of it was motivated by our love for music and a huge part of it was our want to share it and we have a real passion for San Francisco,” Nelson said. “As a result of it being free and having such great music I think everyone just relaxes a little bit more and its got a really special vibe. While (on) one hand the festival has gotten a lot bigger, I think it’s sorta amazing how much the festival has stayed the same.” Sarah Woolford, a liberal studies major at SF State, believes this year was the best Hardly Strictly she has attended in the past four years of living in the city. “Festivals like this remind me why I love San Francisco so much,” Woolford said. “Good vibes. Good music. Good people.” Some of this year’s headliners included Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, Built to Spill and Social Distortion, the latter of which Woolford she said enjoyed. “I watched the happiest, most friendly mosh HELEN TINNA / XPRESS pit at Social Distortion this year,” Woolford CHARACTER: (FAR ABOVE) Festival said. “It was odd but really fun.” attendees gather in the sun at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in Golden Along with the variety of music offered at Gate Park Saturday, Oct. 4. (ABOVE) the festival, food options ranged from alligator SF State alum Dave Rapa lifts his bass to barbecued corn on the cob to some festival while performing with his band The Sam must-haves, such as corn-dogs, kettle corn and Chase at the festival Sunday, Oct. 5.
ice-cold lemonade. No alcohol was sold due to the festival being admission-free, however one attendee found a way around the rule. “I was here last year selling beer and I made quite a bit of money there as well,” said Blake Friedman, a beer salesman from Davis. “Everyone is just super welcoming and ready to buy beer. I wouldn’t try to sell beer at any other event.” In addition to hanging out and listening to bluegrass all weekend, the park was the perfect place to be for people watching. “I enjoy seeing all types of people who come out and enjoy the music,” said Lacy Reese, a health education student at SF State. Although Reese said Hardly Strictly is a great festival, she said this year was overwhelming because of the heat and large crowds. Temperatures peaked in the high 80s for all three days. Now that the weekend has come to an end and all the bands have traveled home, Golden Gate Park will prepare for an even better festival next year. As for The Sam Chase, the band now plans to travel to the Pacific Northwest for a 12-day tour scheduled for the beginning of early November. The band was overjoyed to see their non-traditional music was such a crowd-pleaser at this year’s festival. “Rather than pretend like we Check out goldengatexpress.org are one genre, we embrace the fact that we are for a video interview with untraditional,” alumnus Dave Rapa Chase said.
AMANDA PETERSON / XPRESS
ERIC GORMAN / XPRESS
ERIC GORMAN / XPRESS
MARTIN BUSTAMANTE / XPRESS
SHOWTIME: (CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE LEFT) Jessica Hernandez of Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas performs on the Porch Stage at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in Golden Gate Park Saturday, Oct. 4. Paul Janeway of St. Paul & The Broken Bones performs on the Arrow Stage Saturday, Oct. 4. A crowd watches Built to Spill’s performance Saturday, Oct. 4.
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OCTOBER 8, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
Street makeover debuts at Castro fair REUBEN DEVERAS
rdeveras@mail.sfsu.edu
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
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FRANK LADRA
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FRANK LADRA / XPRESS
COLORFUL: Fair attendees walk up and down the street while vendors sell merchandise at the Castro Street Fair in San Francisco Sunday, Oct. 5.
Rainbow-colored crosswalks, foulmouthed puppet performers, people dressed in drag and live foreskin painting entertained many attendees in San Francisco’s Castro District last Sunday. The Castro Street Fair entered its 41st anniversary smoothly as street construction, which began in March and was set to end this November, did not interfere with festivities. “It’s the opening of the new Castro Street,” said Logan Alexander, the vice president overseeing the fair. “I’m excited that everyone will have a chance of seeing the new neighborhood and that our event will help draw people to see the changes.” For over a decade, Alexander has been active in organizing the Castro Street Fair and was recently selected as vice president of his organization last month. Alexander said the fair is a non-profit effort and all proceeds go to charitable organizations in the city. Last year they raised over $70,000 for local beneficiaries and non-profit organizations. Alexander said the reconstruction is crucial to a better Castro Street, with the street-widening being the most important change.
In May 2013, the San Francisco Planning Department, alongside Public Works and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, invested $8.3 million to alter Castro Street in an effort to beautify the neighborhood, widen and repave the street, according to their website. New trees, additional bike parking, rainbow-painted crosswalks, memorial plaques and the newly widened streets now greet visitors to the Castro. Last March, construction workers raised chain-link fences and deconstructed the neighborhood in order to start renovations. Despite the attention paid to upgrade the street and make it more accessible for everyone, Kristen Cammeyer of Blush Lounge said she noticed business slowing down. “People thought we were closed when we were open, “ said Cammeyer, a bartender at the restaurant lounge situated in the middle of Castro Street between 16th and Market Streets. Hundreds of fair attendants passed by the Blush as Cammeyer served her customers glasses of chardonnay wine with accompanying cheese plates. Despite the construction slowing down her business,
she embraces the changes occurring on Castro. “I think the street was in dire need of a change,” she said. “The new crosswalks are super cute.” Jonathan Ramirez scarfed down his sandwich outside Posh Bagel directly across the street from Blush as his boyfriend stood next to him watching the street vendors. Ramirez is a Castro resident who moved into the neighborhood two years ago and isn’t as positive about the new appearance. “The new crosswalks are a little too gay,” Ramirez said, “I think the neighborhood is wonderful but everyone already knows the Castro as San Francisco’s gay district. We don’t need a rainbow-colored distraction on our major intersection.” Though the new construction garnered mixed reactions from residents, Alexander said it will be worth it in the end. “It has been a great improvement for the city and it entices more people into the neighborhood,” he said. “Any type of construction is going to have some drawbacks, but in the long run there will be benefits to the community.”
Alumnus’ fusion cuisine hits campus in food truck TAYLOR LONIGRO
tlonigro@mail.sfsu.edu
After graduating from SF State and working in management for eight years, Evan Kidera realized that he needed to make a change in his life, specifically, a change in career paths. By combining two of his most beloved interests—business and food—the Señor Sisig food truck was born. It all started in 2008 when Kidera, an asian-american studies alumnus, visited Southern California and stumbled upon the growing popularity of the food truck industry. “I saw a truck with a line of 40 people,” Kidera said. “And I said ‘I’m going back and I’m starting a food truck!’” At the time, there were only a
ANNASTASHIA GOOLSBY / XPRESS
FUSION: SF State alumnus and co-founder of Señor Sisig Evan Kidera smiles in front of his food truck at the SoMa Street Food Park Friday afternoon Oct. 3.
couple of basic taco trucks in San Francisco, according to Kidera, but in Southern California he saw the popularity of them branching out and specializing in fusion cuisine. Kidera wanted to bring the trend to the Bay Area, but with a twist. With chefs for parents, Kidera is no stranger to the food industry, but he could not start his food truck business alone knowing nothing about food trucks or how the business worked. After doing research, meeting up with different food truck
owners around the Bay Area and gaining knowledge on the food truck business, Kidera asked Gil Payumo, a close friend of his since high school, to join in on his venture. Payumo graduated from the California Culinary Academy and had a steady career as a sous chef at the San Mateo Marriott hotel when Kidera approached him with his idea. “He came up to me and said ‘Hey I’m thinking about doing this food truck, what do you think about it?’” Payumo said. “And
right then and there when he asked me, I knew what we were going to do: sisig and tacos—Filipino and Mexican fusion.” Payumo brought the sisig, a Filipino pork dish flavored with chili peppers and citrus, to Señor Sisig with his family’s authentic recipes. Kidera said his idea was to conform to the general public and disguise the stand-out flavors with a Mexican look to appeal to more people here in California. The duo opened up the first truck after about a year and a half of creating the brand of Señor Sisig, which includes the logo, name and menu. After two years of being in business, Señor Sisig now operates a total of three food trucks, and can be spotted throughout many locations in San Francisco, including at SF State. Every other Tuesday, students can look forward to Filipino street food on their lunch break. “I have been at SF State for two years now and I have joined the Señor Sisig bandwagon,” said dental graduate student Taran Cheema while waiting in line at the food truck next to Hensill Hall. “The line is usually long, but it has always been worth the wait.”
OCTOBER 8, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
STAFF EDITORIAL
Academic standards for student leaders are too low Midterms are overwhelming the masses, students are scrambling to pay rent and our student leaders in Associated Students Inc. are dropping like flies from their elected positions. Welcome to week seven of the fall semester at SF State. It all started at the top of the food chain when former President Kenneth Collins resigned one week into the semester, setting the tone for one of the ugliest trends SF State has witnessed from its student government in recent years. How can we possibly expect our current government to handle the responsibilities of student leadership when they can’t even hold their own seats in office? Since the resignation of Collins, ASI lost Vice President of Finance Ramon Gonzalez and Vice President of Student Affairs Virginia McBride. In other words, only two of ASI’s original top executives still remain in office, and one of them, the former Vice President of Internal Affairs Sara Padash, was essentially thrown into presidency after her captain jumped ship. What’s most striking about this confusing debacle is the volume of the dropouts, and the complete lack of transparency from our elected officials. According to the ASI agenda records, the last student official to confirm their resignation was in December 2012. Our current board managed to lose three of its members within the first month of the semester, and has not been forthcoming about the issues that have caused such disarray for their organization. Collins and Gonzalez cited “personal reasons” for their resignations, while McBride said she would rather focus on her studies than handle the responsibilities of her position. Members of the student government are only expected to maintain a low 2.0 grade point average to hold office. Therefore, schoolwork and grades should not be a problem for an organization that is held to the lowest academic standards in our school. It’s almost unfathomable that the standards are so minimal for our student leaders. If you take a look at the athletics department, you’ll see that student athletes have higher academic standards. The 2013-2014 Student-Athlete Handbook requires athletes who fall under a 2.3 GPA to report to study hall and possibly ride the bench on gameday. In addition, athletes under a 2.0 GPA are put on probation and are required to meet with an academic counselor and major advisor to boost their grades. Out of roughly 230 student athletes, 106 of them made the Honor Roll last year and 72 earned Dean’s list honors. What does it say when athletics can manage to land almost half of its students onto the Honor Roll, but the top three officials of ASI can’t even meet a lower standard? As a student body, we should hold our leaders to the highest level of integrity and academic grit. The group organizers should be held accountable for allowing these students to run for office in the first place. Students should not abandon their responsibilities when the going gets tough. If our former leaders’ struggles were unbearable to the point of resignation not even halfway through the semester, then they never should have been there in the first place. It’s time the University holds ASI to better standards. It’s time ASI stepped up to the plate and let the SF State community know what is really going on in our student government.
OPINION 11