October 15, 2014
Serbian dance group decorates the stage in traditional folk style
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Serving the San Francisco State community since 1927
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LOMA PRIETA EARTHQUAKE
25 years after the destruction MICHAEL DURAN
ERIC SLOMANSON / XPRESS FILE PHOTO
michaeld@mail.sfsu.edu
As Darien Lum walked out of his Oct. 17, 1989 meeting at SF State with his fraternity Phi Kappa Tau, the ground began to shake. At 19th and Holloway avenues, power was out and traffic was bumper to bumper with people yelling out of their windows. In the face of the chaos, Lum did the unexpected: he walked out into the middle of traffic. Lum and a couple of his fraternity buddies, in shorts and t-shirts, spent the next three hours directing traffic. As drivers passed Lum, they rolled down their window and said, ‘Thank you, thank you.’ “We all just wanted to help and it was a time of need for people,” said Lum, who graduated from SF State in 1990. “We felt a sense of community.” Only minor damages were reported on campus, except for at the library and Verducci Hall, which closed for a month after the earthquake and left 728 students without a home, according to the Earthquake Edition of the Golden Gater.
WRECKAGE: Firefighters inspect a leveled house in the Marina District Wednesday, Oct. 18, 1989 after resuming the search for survivors of the Loma Prieta Earthquake in San Francisco.
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Dancers face eviction from studio PETER SNARR
psnarr@mail.sfsu.edu
MARTIN BUSTAMANTE / XPRESS
Patriotism soars at Fleet Week CHLOE JOHNSON chloej@mail.sfsu.edu
A sea of tourists, locals and military personnel crowded the Embarcadero this weekend for Fleet Week, where ship tours and the Blue Angels air show welcomed more than 2,000 military personnel to the city. With temperatures in the mid-70s, street performers and the occasional panhandler took advantage of the crowds, while vendors came out THOUSANDS CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
Dance students could lose one of two rehearsal spaces next semester to make room for a new museum in the Fine Arts building, in an effort to consolidate the College of Liberal and Creative Arts. “There’s much to be lost and little to be gained,” said Matthew McKines, a dance major. “It’s like taking away a writer’s pen and paper.” The change comes as University officials attempt to unify the LCA into central locations, interim dean Daniel Bernardi said in an email. As of now, the college is spread over six different buildings on campus including the Science and HSS buildings, which house political science, history and other departments. Spaces and classrooms are being moved to accommodate the inclusion of departments not
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PETER SNARR / XPRESS
FLARE: Dragan Pantelic, CEO and director of Talija, gives instructions to a group of dance students during a special guest lesson in the Gymnasium dance studio Thursday, Oct. 9.
located in Burk Hall, Humanities, Fine Arts and the Creative Arts buildings, including the dance studio in the Fine Arts building, according to Bernardi. As of now, dance students have two available rehearsal spaces, one in the Gymnasium and the other in the Fine Arts Building. The studio in the gym is bigger, but the second studio
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has lockers and dressing rooms nearby. “It’s central to our department,” said Felicia Stiles, a dance major. If the studio is removed, dance students said they will have to rehearse once a week for extended hours, which will strain their bodies and put them at greater risk of injury. In
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addition, curriculum may be cut with only one space available for class time due to scheduling issues, according to dance major Sarah Wells. “(With the studio removed) it will be very difficult for the program to maintain its integrity,” said Wendy Diamond, a dance instructor and lecturer. With a department composed of two tenure-track professors and 70 majors, the college cannot justify the amount of space used by such a small department, according to Bernardi. Dance students, however, insist they use up every aspect of the studio. “It’s already cramped in there,” said Stiles. “Taking away a studio will leave us with absolutely no room.” The dance studio currently resides above the Coppola Theater where music rehearsals have disrupted classes in the DANCE CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
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NEWS
OCTOBER 15, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
BLUEPRINT: (LEFT) A 3D rendering depicts the proposed Reacreation and Wellness Center on Font and Lake Merced boulevards across from Mary Park Hall. The center RENDERING BY WRNS STUDIO / SPECIAL TO XPRESS
VISION: (BELOW) Campus planner Wendy Bloom points to a before and after illustration of the Wellness Center location site while sitting at her desk Monday, Oct. 13. AMANDA PETERSON / XPRESS
Donor funds shift to recreation center
F
DAYVON DUNAWAY
ddunaway@mail.sfsu.edu
unding for a new performing arts center will be redirected to construct a $86 million recreation and wellness center, which was recently named after the donor who contributed the largest individual primary gift to the University. Associated Students Inc. confirmed Oct.1 that the school’s future Recreation and Wellness Center would be named after SF State alumnus Manny Mashouf, who donated $10 million to the University and founded Bebe, a retail company. Construction crews will break ground June 2015 and open in 2018, according to
campus planner Wendy Bloom. Located at Font and Lake Merced boulevards, the two-story facility is set to measure at 118,670 gross square feet and be equipped with fitness rooms, weight training spaces, a spa, pool and an outdoor field. “We wanted to find an appropriate way to honor him for the gift that he and his family made back in 2005,” said Robert Nava, vice president of university advancement. “Here’s an individual whose life is committed to personal excellence, values, health and wellness. So we thought a wellness center would be an ideal place to ask Mr. Mashouf to allow us to place his name on.” The donation is the largest individual
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Dance program at odds with LCA consolidation
gift the school has ever received, according to Nava, and will cover part of the funding for the center. The total project cost, including design, construction and equipment is estimated at $86,487,000, according to Bloom. Mashouf originally donated the money in 2005 to fund a new performing arts center but additional funding for the project from the state failed to materialize, according to Nava. Mashouf agreed in 2012 to have his donation redirected to fund the wellness student center. “We are grateful to Mr. Mashouf for his willingness to redirect his gift to support the Wellness Center and for our student leaders’ enthusiastic endorsement,” SF State President Leslie E. Wong said in an email. Half of Mashouf’s initial donation was used to prepare the infrastructure for what would have been the performing
theater below. Putting a museum above the theater could take away issues of sound bleeding into lectures. “This, of course, is not the fault of dance, but, rather, the original design of the building,” said Bernardi. “Yet the space is ideal for a university museum.” A replacement space has not been found for Spring 2015, which Bernardi said has been a challenge. “I’m fifty-fifty on our ability to find and prep a space in time for spring,” said Bernardi. “(Somewhere in the) McKenna (Theater) and Knuth (Hall could be used) if we cannot find that space in time. I am 99 percent sure we will find a second dedicated space by
arts center, according to Nava, but since the University plans to build the wellness center where the performing arts building would have been, the school will not have to pay additional fees for new equipment or start from scratch. “It is appropriate that it be named after an alumnus who has so much in common with many of our students,” said SF State spokesperson Ellen Griffin, who added that the wellness center will be funded primarily by student fees. To fund the project, the University established a Recreation and Wellness Center Fee in 2010, which increased from $35 to $90 in 2012 for all students, according to the Office of Fiscal Affairs website. “This new state of the art facility will become a new gateway to our campus while adding great value to our students’ campus experience,” Wong said.
Fall 2015. I hope to position dance for growth and investment.” Students in the dance department said they don’t see the worth in paying full tuition for an insufficient program, even if it’s temporary. “I’m not about to pay full tuition when I only get half of the curriculum,” said dance major Angelica Trinidad. Dance students plan on protesting the changes by gathering signatures and sending petitions to the College of Liberal and Creative Arts offices this week. “We’re not going to go down without a fight,” said McKines.
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Campus infrastructure updated after earthquake Twenty to 30 percent of the library’s shelves were destroyed, leaving hundreds of books on the ground. “We didn’t realize it was a big thing. We thought it was just another earthquake because living in San Francisco, you accept them,” said Ghassan Tarakji, an engineering professor who taught an afternoon class in Thornton Hall when the walls began to shake for what seemed like much longer than 15 seconds. The Loma Prieta Earthquake resulted in 63 deaths, 3,757 injuries and an estimated $6 billion in property damage, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake originated at the Loma Prieta Peak in Santa Cruz, but caused the most property damage in both San Francisco and Oakland areas, according to the Bay Area Earthquake Alliance. In Oakland, parts of the double-decker Cypress Street Viaduct collapsed and took 42 lives. The earthquake was dubbed the “World Series Quake” since it struck the Bay Area right when the Oakland A’s and the San Francisco Giants were set to begin Game 3 of the World Series. Buildings in the Marina District, built on landfill and to older codes, were vulnerable to most of the damage in the city, according to Tarakji, who has a Ph.D in civil engineering. “We are in a much better position than we (were) at that time,” said Tarakji. “But
there’s a lot of work to still be done.” Since 1989, all construction or retrofits at SF State adhere to the latest seismic requirements per the California Building Code, according to Wendy Bloom, campus planner for Capital Planning, Design & Construction. Burk Hall, Ethnic Studies & Psychology, Hensill Hall, HSS, Administration Building, the Dining Center, parking garage and the library, have all undergone seismic retrofitting in the last 25 years. The library underwent a major seismic retrofit in 2012 after its renovation, along with the Lot 20 Parking Garage in the same year, according to Bloom. All seismic designs are reviewed by a member of the California State University Seismic Review Board, Bloom said. An inspector is regularly on site to ensure that buildings are constructed in accordance with the structural design requirements and details outline in the building’s approved construction documents. “After any seismic event, the CPDC staff with their expertise in building construction would inspect all buildings to decide whether or not they are safe to occupy,” Bloom said. SF State will hold an Emergency Notification Systems Test, which will send notifications to phones, emails and any other forms of electronic communications to students and faculty Oct. 17 according to a University email.
YVONNE M. SOY / XPRESS FILE PHOTO
COLLAPSE: On the second floor of the library, shelves of periodicals buckle after the 7.0 Loma Prieta Earthquake in San Francisco Tuesday, Oct. 17, 1989.
On the same day, the Neighborhood Emergency Response team will put on “Quake the Quad,” a safety event in the Malcolm X Plaza for students and faculty to practice the “Drop, Cover and HoldOn” drill. Members of Zombie Nation will be in attendance, pretending to be earthquake victims, according to Gayle Orr-Smith, emergency preparedness coordinator. “The number one maneuver for students to do when an earthquake occurs is to drop, cover and hold-on,” said OrrSmith. “This is a new action we are trying to teach students and faculty to do when an earthquake happens. According to Orr-Smith, when you do not have a desk to duck under, the next option is to back up against a wall, drop down and crouch, making sure that your neck is covered. Most of earthquake-related injuries occur when people run out of the building because debris can fall on them, said Orr- Smith.
“Everyone believes that going under a doorway is safe, but it’s not,” said OrrSmith. “Let’s say you are in a class of 100 students, not everyone is going to fit under the doorway.” Twenty-five years later, SF State is prepared for an earthquake with its buildings and an emergency procedure, according to Orr-Smith, who recalled what happened on Townsend Street on that shaky day of Oct. 17. “It was about 5:04 p.m. when people were just getting out of work and walking on the sidewalks,” Orr-Smith said. “People were in their cars waiting on their loved ones. Cars were crushed from all of the bricks and building pieces that fell off.” The Loma Prieta earthquake was a lesson to be learned for the city of San Francisco. “This was a huge awakening and tremendous learning experience,” said Orr-Smith.
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OCTOBER 15, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Crews tackle trash after Hardly Strictly TIMOTHY SMITH
A
tsmith@mail.sfsu.edu
fter the final band struck its last chord and festival goers flooded out of Golden Gate Park Oct. 5, all that was left behind in the wake of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass were the tons of garbage left behind. Clean-up crews of more than 60 people collected most of that waste into a pile 10 feet high and 30 feet wide by the following Monday afternoon, according to Mary Munat, founder of Green Mary Zero Waste Events. The free music festival, which began in 2001, draws thousands of attendees to Golden Gate Park every year. Complaints from locals over the years prompted the city to look more closely at the environmental impact of large events like the festival. Green Mary has been working behind the scenes with sponsors of the music festival for seven years to minimize the waste left behind by attendees. This year, the company was responsible for managing the primary cleanup after the event. “Before the event we are talking with everybody in sight about how to minimize the waste of resources and maximize the appropriate reuse and recycling,” Munat said. In San Francisco, any public event that requires street closure permits must have a waste management plan approved by the city, according to Munat.
AMANDA PETERSON / XPRESS
DEBRIS: Compost, recycling and trash pile up in the grass at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco Tuesday, Oct. 7, two days after hundreds of thousands of people attended the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival.
“You don’t get your permit until you have that recycling plan in place,” Munat said. The company’s services are paid for by an endowment from the Warren Hellman Trust, whose namesake comes from the Bay Area philanthropist responsible for funding the original Strictly Bluegrass festival 14 years ago, according to Munat.
In general, Green Mary handles the logistics of minimizing waste before the event and leads the clean-up effort following it. They coordinate with companies, government bodies and private citizens to ensure that the event generates as little waste as possible. “Significantly before the event, we’re working with the producers and the food
vendor manager to communicate how zero waste happens,” Munat said. Munat and her employees provided free refill stations to reduce the frequency of single-use water bottles, coordinated with waste removal companies to remove what waste was leftover and required vendors to purchase compostable materials for serving food. Tristen Rowean, a freshman from SF State, said he was at Hardly Strictly Friday night, but he did not see an issue with trash. “I saw a lot of trash cans and compost, but I didn’t think anything of it because you see that stuff everywhere,” Rowean said. Frank Spencer, a student from the University of San Francisco, who lives near the park, said he attended the festival for at least a couple hours all three days and didn’t notice any spectacular effort to clean up during the actual event. “I know they always do clean up and do a great job. Whether they get every single cigarette butt - that is probably an impossible task, but they always do seem to clean up pretty well,” Spencer said. Spencer said he hadn’t been to the side of the park where the event took place, but he did notice more trash around his neighborhood. “Along Haight Street it’s more dirty for sure because everybody lets out and kinda comes to the Haight,” Spencer said. “It’s definitely been a bit more messy on the street the past couple days.”
Registration efforts target potential voters DANIEL RIVERA
As the Oct. 20 deadline to register for the general election approaches, SF State officials and students are focusing on campus political engagement. In an effort to get students involved in this year’s Nov. 4 election, the University launched a summer partnership with TurboVote, an online platform that assists users registering to vote and informs them of upcoming elections in hopes of increasing voter turnout. Adrienne Lever, the senior director of partnership for TurboVote, described the project as a voter engagement tool that is appropriate for students in an age where the internet is the preferred method of communication. Lever said the company works closely with universities trying to amass greater student votes. Core-campus voter turnout, which includes SF State’s dormitories, rose to 74.53 percent in 2012 from 63 percent in 2008. The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning said 87 percent of all 18 to 24-year-old college students who were registered voted in the 2008 elections, according to the Department of Elections. “We wanted to harness technology to get the 21st century citizen involved,” Lever said. “We always like to see voter registration integrate with the academic process.” Associate Director for Community Relations Jared Giarrusso said the Uni-
dmrivera@mail.sfsu.edu
versity’s utilization of the site’s resources would fulfill its duty to create an informed public and increase the number of registered voters that leads to higher turnouts. “The hope is that through education they learn to be engaged citizens,” Giarrusso said. “It’s the university’s responsibility to create engaged citizens in their community.” The “Rock the Vote” foundation also took steps to engage young voters across the country by appointing rap artist Lil Jon as the official spokesperson for the #TurnOutForWhat campaign, which addresses important issues in the upcoming election. Offline, students are finding other ways to mobilize SF State’s participation in this year’s elections. Mark Anderson of the non-partisan student organization Students Vote! at SFSU said his group plans to hold educational meetings on this year’s ballot items and a vote for them would signify. “We have tentative plans to host discussion panels about voting and about issues surrounding elections, which may eventually include candidate forums,” Anderson said. “We plan to reach out to other clubs with interests in the voting process to make our events more encompassing.” Associate professor of political science Martin Carcieri urges students to be politically active. With a background in constitutional law, Carcieri stressed the
HELEN TINNA / XPRESS
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT: History major Joseph Scimonelli registers to vote at the campus government and community relations table Monday, Oct. 13. The event was intended to encourage students who have not yet registered to participate in the November election.
importance of voting because others are not fortunate enough to do so. “So many people in the world have not had free governance and the privilege to vote,” Carcieri said. “Let us exercise this liberty.” Sociology and dance major Stephen Keshi registered to vote Oct. 13 during the SFSU Turns Out the Vote event at Malcolm X Plaza, and said the democratic process gives students the opportunity to make a difference. “I think it matters because we’re the people,” Keshi said. “We have the power to make things better. If you want to change the future, you have to sit down and do the work.” Vice President of External Affairs
for Associated Students Inc. Naeemah Charles said ASI members are considering arranging classroom visits and cooperating with Residential Life programs in order to increase student voter registration. Charles said student voices matter, and urged them to vote on important propositions like the tax on sugar bond Measure E and the proposed minimum wage increase Measure J. Charles said ASI members will try to maintain a presence on Malcolm X Plaza until Nov. 4 to garner student awareness. “There’s a lot of important decisions being made without student input,” said Charles. “It’s really important to the University and ASI to know that students are using their political voice.”
NEWS
OCTOBER 15, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
FLEET WEEK
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Thousands pack waterfront for air show
ON DECK: (ABOVE) United States Marine Corps helicopter pilot 1st Lt. Eric Cragerud describes some features of the AH-1 Super Cobra during a tour onboard the USS America Monday, Oct. 13. (RIGHT) The U.S. Navy Blue Angels fly over San Francisco for Fleet Week Saturday, Oct. 11. (BELOW) The USS America LHA-6 warship sits docked at Pier 30-32 in San Francisco Monday Oct. 13. PHOTOS BY MARTIN BUSTAMANTE / XPRESS
to sell everything from hotdogs to Blue Angels toy planes. But for many sailors, the biggest novelty was simply being on solid ground. “When you’re at sea for six months, it’s a very hard life,” said Daniel Bernardi, interim dean of SF State’s College of Liberal and Creative Arts, who spent 20 years in the Navy and is still in the reserves. “You get to go into a city where you get people who say thank you for your service. It’s especially important for young people,” he said of the event. The purpose of Fleet Week, which has been held in various cities since 1935, is to boost morale for sailors who can spend as long as six months at sea. According to Peter Wilson of the U.S. Coast Guard, who has been in the service for eight years, going on shore leave is not just a party for sailors. It is also a chance to do ordinary things like take care of medical or financial problems, buy presents for loved ones and access the Internet, all things that are hard or impossible to do while on a ship. “So far, everything we’ve heard from our crew is incredibly positive,” said Lieutenant Nathan Jenkins. “People just offer to pay for drinks and meals. It’s incredibly good for our guys, morale-wise.” When Navy ships dock in a city, sailors often get free or discounted admission to tourist attractions, free band concerts and other events that are held, and the public gets a glimpse of military life through events like ship tours and air shows. “I just kind of grew up seeing it (Fleet Week) on the news,” said state construction inspector Irvin Urbanski, who grew up in the Midwest and now lives near Gilroy. “I always wanted to see it, especially the Blue Angels.” Urbanski, who had taken his ten-yearold son and nine-year-old daughter to tour the ships and see the air show, also just wanted to see San Francisco, which he
considers to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. While tourists stood in line for the chance to board naval ships and cheered the high-flying stunts of the Blue Angels, sailors were encouraged to get out into the community. “We’re encouraging people to get out in the city and be seen in their uniforms,” Jenkins said. On Sunday, San Francisco hosted the Italian Heritage Parade, which has been a tradition since 1868 and is a part of the Fleet Week festivities, according to its website. The parade, which marched along Fisherman’s Wharf before going into North Beach, included elaborate floats, military bands and city supervisors in classic cars. While there was a large Italian American influence, other communities in the city were represented, including Chinese Americans and the LGBT community. Music ranging from “God Bless America” to Journey blasted from the speakers of cars and motorcycles. “I was very impressed,” said Bay Area native Gayle Farley, who watched the parade from her charter boat, the Silver Fox. “It brought the city together. You hear all the bad stuff about Fisherman’s Wharf, but this parade really gave a sense of what our country is about.” Military personnel were impressed by the number of tourists who turned out for the Fleet Week festivities, although some service members admitted that going ashore can be stressful. “On ship, life is simple; you don’t have any real-world problems,” said Jason Firby, a combat systems engineer with the Canadian navy, who joined the military both for adventure and to pay for his education. “It’s a whole different world being in the military,” said Wilson. “But we got a friendly reception which is the biggest part.”
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
OCTOBER 15, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
RENOWNED SERBIAN DANCE GROUP
World traveling troupe colors campus with vibrant dances PETER SNARR
“I’d never seen anything like that. It’s great that SF State can offer something like this.”
Sarah Wells,
DANCE MAJOR COLORFUL: (ABOVE) A tambourine player with the Talija Art Co. stands on top of a bass drum during a performance in SF State’s McKenna Theatre Friday, Oct. 10. (ABOVE RIGHT) Serbian dancers perform Talija Art Co. dance routines using large ribbons in the McKenna Theatre Friday, Oct. 10. (BELOW) The full cast of the Talija Art Co. performs Serbian dances under the direction of their CEO and art director Dragan Pantelic in the McKenna Theatre Friday, Oct. 10. PHOTOS BY AMANDA PETERSON / XPRESS
ancers of Talija, clothed in brightly colored traditional dress, treated SF State to folk dances originating from the Balkan region for their first-ever San Francisco performance. Having just arrived from Las Vegas the day before, the dance group, composed of 22 dancers and five musicians, showed no fatigue as they put on a two-hour performance in McKenna Theater Friday night. Talija is an international art company headed by Dragan Pantelic and has traveled the world through tours in Italy, Greece and Spain. Although the troupe currently touring has 22 dancers, Talija is composed of more than 300 members total. While the group specializes in Serbian folk dances, audiences were treated to a wide variety of dances including ones from Romania, Greece, Russia and Hungary. The troupe is no stranger to touring in the United States, having performed in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, but this was its first time in San Francisco, according to Rita Bravo, one of the organizers of Friday’s event. It was broadcast and electronic com-
psnarr@mail.sfsu.edu
munication arts adviser Miriam Smith, however, who got the group to perform in the city. While traveling through Europe with the “Great American Clog Band,” Smith met the group in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. After befriending Dragan Pantelic, Smith convinced Talija to make a trip to California and perform for the first time in San Francisco. “(San Francisco) is great,” said Arsenije Peric, the music director for Talija. “We haven’t seen much of it yet, but what we have done so far has been great.” Peric, who plays accordion, has been with the company for over 20 years and brought along a full band composed of guitar, clarinet, drum and violin to play live with the dancers. Pantelic played the drum and would jump in from time-to-time and perform a dance with his troupe. In addition to preparing a full twohour show, Pantelic was kind enough to put on a special dance lesson for students Thursday night. The lesson, which was full of fun, laughter and energy, left dance students with a new experience and exhaustion. “I’d never done anything like that,” said Sami Swanson, a kinesiology major and dance minor. “It was such
a difference than the (ballet and jazz) that we usually do. I for sure worked up a sweat.” Pantelic was even happy with the results that the students showed during the two-hour lesson. “They were very good,” said Pantelic after the lesson. “The students were excellent and they picked up the steps quickly.” While most of the show included intricate numbers of traditional Serbian and Balkan dances, some of them contained a story as well as comedy. One such number featured male dancers dressed up as sailors and army soldiers who kept trying to gain the affection of two women dancers. Much comedic pushing and shoving commenced before an officer appeared on stage and danced the girls away, however, the sailors and soldiers got the last laugh when at the end of the dance the girls ended up exiting the stage with the enlisted men. After a night of clapping along to the music and cheering on the performers, audience members left with a night they won’t soon forget. “I’d never seen anything like that,” said Sarah Wells, a dance major who attended the event. “It’s great that SF State can offer something like this.”
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
OCTOBER 15, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
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Annette Bening: Back on the campus stage
hile a crowd of eager students stood in the halls awaiting her presence, actress Annette Bening slowly toured the rooms of her alma mater’s theatre department, reminiscing about directors she worked with, the old lights in a dressing room and the very stage on which she last performed 34 years ago. Bening’s impromptu visit to SF State last Friday did not garner publicity from outside media and was only intended as a special event for theatre and cinema students to attend. Bening, who happened to be in the area, offered to speak to students at her former university, according to Todd Roehrman, associate dean of research and performances for the College of Liberal and Creative Arts. In a private interview given before her talk in Little Theatre, Bening expressed how emotional the visit was when she walked the hallways and noticed how certain rooms and items have stayed the same. “I remember eating, living, breathing this building,” Bening said. The Academy Award-nominated actress, known for her roles in “The American President,” “Bugsy” and “The Kids Are All Right,” remembers her time at SF State, from which she graduated in 1980, as being a stressful balance of attending classes, working and acting in plays. She is grateful, however, for making it through and said she knows students are still doing the same and encourages them to keep with their passion. Bening continues to be a strong advocate for the arts and public education, and doesn’t want anyone to feel discouraged from pursuing what they love. In her interview, Bening explained her journey from the University to the acclaim she’s achieved from acting. Following graduation, Bening took a small role in a TV movie and later became an equity actress at San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theatre, where she met her mentor, Bill Ball, a director and founder of ACT. Bening said she was still new to acting on screen since she had performed on stage
PHOTOS BY FRANK LADRA / XPRESS
MEMORIES: (TOP) Actress Annette Bening sits down for an Xpress exclusive interview in Creative Arts Friday, Oct. 10. (BOTTOM) Actress Annette Bening laughs alongside acting professor Laura Wayth during a talk in Little Theatre in the Creative Arts Building Friday, Oct. 10.
“I don’t know where it’s going to take me, but it’s what I love and what I want to do.” Annette Bening, ACADEMY AWARD-NOMINATED ACTRESS most of her life and had to adjust when she began taking more film roles. “I was a stage actor pretending to be a film actor,” Bening said, later adding that though her heart remains with theatre, she’s enjoyed acting on screen as well. “The stage is my home, but I love them both now.” Bening expressed this sentiment to students and others during her talk in the theatre where she was met with roars of applause that filled the room when she first walked onto the stage and greeted the crowd. One of the excited fans, Wendy Amorose, who works in the theatre’s costume shop, was just as thrilled for this day and, before the talk, asked for Bening to autograph a poster she brought.
During her talk to students, Bening answered questions provided by Laura Wayth, an acting professor in the theatre arts department, and spoke about topics ranging from the creative process and past acting roles to her biggest mentors and family life. Bening discussed how she handles doubt in her acting, prompted by a student’s question, and said that being unsure of one’s abilities is inevitable. “Doubt is something you can’t get rid of and don’t ever try,” she said, adding, “I’m trying to encourage you, not discourage you.” Bening also talked about her process when she first receives a script, explaining that actors only get one innocent read to
interpret and convey that role to themselves and viewers. She later spoke about the “secret” to auditions, which is simply to take a big breath and keep movement flowing through the body by practicing stretches or yoga. The most recurring topic, however, was Bening’s greatest mentors in the business and their somewhat wacky methods of teaching. She discussed her admiration for directors she worked with while at SF State, as well as ones, such as Ball, who she encountered at ACT, and chuckled when she noticed that the descriptions of her mentors shared a similarity. “Most of the teachers, I’m realizing, are all a little crazy,” Bening joked, and said that they were her biggest sources of guidance in theatre work. Bening, who has four children in their teenage years and older, also touched on the topic of taking time off from acting when she was pregnant. She told the audience that sometime in their lives they might have to take breaks from theatre and other aspects of life, and that those times do not mean the fire has gone out on their passion. Bening’s talk proved successful and the inspiration beaming from students was ever-present as they applauded for her every chance they had. Rebecca Hodges, a theatre performance major, was one of these students and said she only found out about Bening’s appearance from an email her professors sent out telling students not to miss the event. “(Her talk) was very inspirational,” Hodges said. “It was a great treat to have her here.” Bening remained in the halls following her talk to speak with faculty, but will later return back to her home in Los Angeles. The students will most likely never forget the day they saw a famous actress at their own university. They will, however, have Bening’s advice to tell to those, parents especially, who are against pursuing a career in theatre and creative fields altogether: “You tell them, ‘I understand you have your best interest for me at heart, but I’m going toward this path,’” she said. “‘I don’t know where it’s going to take me, but it’s what I love and what I want to do.’”
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OPINION
OCTOBER 15, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
STAFF EDITORIAL
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
NASHELLY CHAVEZ
NEWS EDITOR nashelly@mail.sfsu.edu
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SF State should fix old structures before building new
apital funds don’t come along easily, so when they do, they better be spent on something worthwhile. A $86.4 million wellness center—or a campus extension in Hunters Point—may be nice to have, but there are more pressing matters to resolve first with such constrained funds. SF State, your eyes are bigger than your pocketbook. They bulge out past everyday needs to gain bragging rights and ogle aesthetics. Sure, that expensive cherry wood cabinet could be useful and would make the entrance hall look sleek, but is it worth it when the leaky kitchen sink goes several more months without attention, risking a mold infestation? Several campus buildings date back to the 1950s and need immediate attention, but the newest addition of the wellness center is just another non-academic building and a glorified replica of the Gymnasium, which unveiled its own $2.1 million renovation in September. For the governor’s latest budget, the
California State University and University of California systems proposed additional funding toward a backlog of necessary repairs to old buildings, but revenue from state property taxes did not cross the threshold needed for Gov. Jerry Brown to keep the measure. As a result of the lack of funding for repairs, the Science Building meltdown hit the University with a $3.83 million remediation bill. For safety reasons, the campus community still isn’t comfortable operating there and does not consider it sufficient for science classes. President Leslie E. Wong is now considering a new state-of-the-art Science Building, but with what money will he construct it? University funds will likely contribute to the project, even if it is primarily funded by private investors. A $10 million gift elated the University enough to name the Mashouf Wellness Center after the donor, SF State alumnus and founder of retail company Bebe, and outshined the mandatory $90 recreation and wellness center fee that students are hit with every semester.
That fee every SF State student pays each semester is asking a lot when stacked against all other costs. It’s that last textbook we can’t afford, a couple weeks of groceries or a month of riding Muni to get to campus. We can’t even get a transit pass for a so-called commuter school. Student fees would be better invested in such a pass that would reach more of the student body. The list of grievances goes on and on. Our 2007 Master Plan, which includes the wellness center, is full of conceptual designs and wistful imaginations of a future full of ‘improvements’ that SF State does not need. Projects like the upcoming wellness center and the flirtation with a Hunters Point campus extension only help eyes roll when SF State tells us “we don’t have the money.” Our ears may listen sympathetically, but we see something different. We see money put toward the kind of changes administration wants, but not the ones we need.
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
Birth control allows women to express sexual freedom
JESSE GARNIER
MULTIMEDIA ADVISER jgarnier@sfsu.edu
SCOT TUCKER
PHOTO ADVISER tucker@sfsu.edu
HANNAH MULLINS
EVA CHARLES
hmullins@mail.sfsu.edu
ADVERTISING & BUSINESS echarles@mail.sfsu.edu ILLUSTRATION BY MADISON RUTHERFORD / XPRESS
ARUN UNNIKRISHNAN I.T. CONSULTANT arun@mail.sfsu.edu
SADE BROWNE
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
Have you thought about how great sex is lately? Honestly, take a minute. Sex is normal and something you think about every day. But there’s a huge difference between thinking about sex and actually doing it. A better thought would be, “How often do college students think about having safe sex?” Women in the 21st century should acknowledge their sexual freedom and express their sexuality without feeling ashamed. Most importantly, women should start exploring their options for safe sex. With female birth control being relatively new, particularly the invention of the pill in the 1960’s, I wonder how many women know that there are dozens of options, some of which last for years and don’t have to be taken daily. Every person is different. Some have the time to take a tiny pill or two each morning and others are all over the place. The pill is not the best option for someone like me: a 21-year-old female, unorga-
nized, working two jobs, a full time student and losing my car keys almost every time I step foot in my house. Frankly, I don’t trust myself to remember something so small each day. What are ladies to do if they’re like me, can’t handle hormones or want something new? This semester, I took it upon myself to become involved in campus life and something I think is really important: health education. Volunteering for the Peer Educators Advocating Campus Health, I focus on sexual health in our community, and people constantly ask me about female birth control methods. When I suggest Intrauterine Devices most people look at me like I’ve lost it, but hear me out. An IUD is a tiny t-shaped plastic device that is inserted in through your cervix and rests in your uterus. This is a one time deal for birth control and you have a couple of options to choose from. There is a copper IUD that uses no hormones and can prevent unplanned pregnancies for up to 12 years. If you
decide you want kids before that, no problem. With a simple procedure, the IUD can be removed and your body will be fertile within a week or so. There are also hormonal IUDs that last anywhere from 3 to 5 years. It’s effectiveness is also greater than 99 percent, leaving nothing to worry about when you’re getting hot and heavy. An IUD is a fantastic option for a woman looking to pursue a career, travel the world and not settle down with a family any time soon. For those looking for a less permanent option, check out the Nuva Ring, the Nexplanon or the Depo Provera Shot which are all free through Family Pact’s program at SF State. It’s time for ladies to really look at their options and settle for nothing less than the best for their body. Let’s not forget folks, no glove, no love. Condoms are crucial for preventing sexual transmitted infections and pregnancy for those not on a birth control method. Safe really is sexy.
OPINION
OCTOBER 15, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
Gender neutral bathrooms should exist within all CSUs CECILIA ABATE
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his month University of California President Janet Napolitano pledged to make several single-stall bathrooms gender-neutral on all ten UC campuses in an attempt to make the campus more LGBTQ friendly. Shouldn’t California State Universities follow suit? Inside Higher Ed, a college-based news site, states that UC graduate student workers forged an agreement that establishes access to bathroom facilities as a right. This is indisputable, logically: all students should have the right to use campus facilities for personal needs, regardless of gender identification. Since this was established in the UC system, it should be a right in the CSU system. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been set forth as an explicit right for us - which is part of the issue concerning whether or not CSU campuses should designate genderless bathrooms to accommodate nonbinary students. While it may take months or even years for the idea to seep into the CSU system, the fact that UC schools are moving forward with this decision is a major step in recognizing it as a legitimate issue. A study published in the Journal of Public Management and Social Policy in 2013 confirmed that 70 percent of transgender/genderqueer people faced discrimination and harassment when trying to use a bathroom. Herman states that the problems arise from the idea of a gender binary: that there are only ‘male’ and ‘female’ people in the world. “The way gendered public restrooms are designed and constructed
cabate@mail.sfsu.edu
ILLUSTRATION BY KAITLIN AGUILAR / XPRESS
harms transgender and gender nonconforming people, some of whom may not conform to reified expectations of how men and women will look and act.” The study reports verbal harassment as the following: asked to leave the facility, being told they were in the wrong one, or getting teased. For nine percent of the respondents, the confrontations were physical. More than half of respondents reported having physical problems, such as kidney infections, because they “held it” to avoid the entire situation. The same amount also said they have stayed home because they didn’t feel safe in public. When we consider this—and the fact that nearly 10 percent of the confrontations were physical—it shifts from a representation issue to a campus safety issue. Does SF State want to keep its students safe and healthy? Does it want accurate representation and accommodation for its students in the most simple respects? In terms of a shift, this isn’t a big one— certainly not as big as, say, tearing down the Science Building or rebuilding the entire library. It’s as simple as switching a sign. If the funds for the project are limited, we can follow in the footsteps of our local UCs and start with just a few gender-neutral facilities. It poses no threat to the public and most people probably wouldn’t even notice if the bathrooms were changed—but it would make a world of difference to the people who needed to use them. Your biggest worry at school shouldn’t be having to find a safe bathroom.
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10 SPORTS
OCTOBER 15, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
Cross country captain is one of SF State’s greats Team captain Paxton Cota holds three SF State all-time records for cross country and overcame illness and injury throughout her career. ELIZABETH CARRANZA
At her Southern California high school, SF State cross country runner Paxton Cota spent less time tearing up the race course, and more time socializing. “I remember at first I kind of didn’t want to run, I just wanted to meet people,” said Cota of when she ran for Dana Hills High School. “Four years is a long time to dedicate to a sport, but I’m happy I’ve gone this far with it.” Fast forward to today, and Cota is in her fourth year running for the SF State Gators. She holds three records on SF State’s all-time best list, and her veteran experience led her to becoming team captain in her final year. “Paxton is one of the most accomplished runners that I’ve worked with,” said head coach
ecarranz@mail.sfsu.edu
Tom Lyons. “She’s the reason our team is what it is right now. To make all conference consecutive as a SF State athlete is pretty impressive.” At the 2013 California Collegiate Athletic Association Championships Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Cota earned All-CCAA honors by placing third in the 3k steeplechase with a personal best time of 11:26. She was five seconds short of ranking first on the SF State all-time best list. “I remember it was my first time trying steeplechase that season,” Cota said. “I felt really proud of myself. Maybe this upcoming season I can take first. I’m going after that record.” Two years before, Cota earned All-CCAA honors by
ANNASTASHIA GOOLSBY / XPRESS
RECORD HOLDER: Paxton Cota, far left, runs her final cross country SF State Invitational at Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park Friday, Oct. 10.
placing 14th overall in the 6k with a personal best time of 21:57, ranking her fourth in SF State history. “It was after the meet that Tom came running up to me saying I broke a record,” Cota said. “I had no idea. I was so shocked. It was a great moment and feeling.” As a freshman, Cota found success by establishing herself as a top runner. She anticipated carrying that momentum into 2012, but it took a turn that landed her on the bench for half the season. “It was hard not being able
to help the team out,” Cota said of having pneumonia that season. “I only ran two meets that year and it’s hard coming back from any sickness or injury. I had to push hard and remind myself why I was here on the team.” Cota found herself in a familiar place this season, on the sidelines after she sustained a minor ankle injury during practice a week before the season opener. But after she worked through her injury, she raced at the SF State invitational and made her presence known by placing 10th in the 6k with a time of 22:30.
“Everyone did well,” said returning runner Lindsey Ragas. “Especially having Paxton back, we did good as a team.” She now has the responsibility of leading a team composed of nine freshmen as she prepares for graduation next semester. “She’s a great leader. She’s taken all the girls and brought them into returning runners,” Lyons said. “I think just by the way that I’ve seen her in the four years we’ve had her, it looks like she’s set up for another big season.”
MIDSEASON REVIEW
Men’s soccer struggles after historic start SERGIO PORTELA
SARA GOBETS / XPRESS
PURSUIT: SF State Gator forward Cameron DeJong, #16, volleys the ball out of the air away from advancing Cal State East Bay player Arthur Ethel, #3, at Cox Stadium Sunday, Sept. 28.
SF State men’s soccer team had the best start to a season in 34 years, but the team is going in the wrong direction after four straight losses. Their overall success this year can be attributed to new head coach Matt Barnes, who has his team poised and ready to compete every night. Barnes is fiery when needed and is known by players to inspire them when they need to pull out close games. “For us to come in and do something that hasn’t happened in 34 years, I’m really proud about that but it doesn’t help us win any matches,” Barnes said. “So we talked about it a little bit but we have some work to do to get better.” The team’s formula for success this season is their primary focus on defense, according to Barnes. By defending well, the Gators create more scoring opportunities and outlast opponents in the second half. “We try and defend first this year as games loosen up and our fitness is high,” said Barnes. “I think what you see so much in the second half isn’t really a tactical adjustment, it is just our guys having consistent energy throughout 90 minutes and even into overtime.”
sportela@mail.sfsu.edu
The problem with the Gators is their lack of a quality scorer who can put up points when the opportunity presents itself. The team would be undefeated if someone could finish consistently, Barnes said. “We have a great team,” captain Kevin Johnson said. “We have subs out here that can come in and kill the game for us. It’s just great to have a nice team like that.” The team is strongest at home, going undefeated after six games and only tying twice. However, the team is different on the road, where it struggles from injuries to the Gator’s backline, specifically senior Hayden Roberts. “The injury bug bit us a little bit, (and) we think Hayden may be out for the weekend,” Barnes said before the team’s 0-2 finish in Los Angeles. “That’s a big loss for us. He’s been tremendous in the middle of the park and on the backline when he plays there.” The team is hoping to get back to their winning ways as they return home this week. “It doesn’t stop here, we got to keep going,” said freshman Adam Lenth. “Hopefully we end up in the playoffs this year.”
SPORTS
OCTOBER 15, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
11
By road or plane, volleyball team studies hard
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JOHN MONTOYA
jmontoya@mail.sfsu.edu
hough the reality of life for many SF State students has become the delicate balance between a job and schoolwork, student athletes often substitute a paying job for the full-time work they put into their sport on a daily basis. “School is really your main focus in high school, but here you play because it is your job,” junior Bria Morgan said. “This is your main focus, I know we’re student athletes but there really is a lot of emphasis on athlete, so it’s hard to make school a priority.” The Gator volleyball team has daily practices and games every weekend. The team travels on the road for half of its games, making it
even tougher for the players to stay on top of their work, and essential that they make proper use of their time. “Sometimes on the plane ride to LA I had to do it in my lap because I had so much homework,” said Morgan, who plays for the volleyball team which travels to away games every other Friday and Saturday. The SF State athletic department asks its athletes to maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA to play sports, and maintain above a 2.3 to avoid mandatory study hours each week. But for the volleyball team, it’s different. “With our coach, it’s like a 3.0,” senior Jazmine Williams said. Head volleyball coach Jill Muhe emphasizes to the team how important it is to maintain good grades and attend all classes. Muhe
has the team go to a mandatory study hall every day. “We’re the only team that really has (study hall) every day, so I think it’s really important to her,” Williams said. SF State athletics is a whole new world when it comes to balancing a suffocating workload at school in the little time available. “It’s discipline. We have the same schedule every week, so you have to plan around it,” said Arianna Cruz, a junior on the SF State volleyball team. “It’s just managing your time wisely.” According to some players, acclimating to the hectic life of being a student athlete was not an easy thing for them to get used to. “Changing from high school and club to college was overwhelming. Not being able to be in my classes trying to catch up sucked,”
Williams said. “Once I got to my sophomore year I was used to it.” Coach Muhe gives the women three hours on the road to catch up on their schoolwork, and any other time the women need they do on their own. If players need more than the allotted three hours to catch up on schoolwork, they will find ways to make it happen. “We have mandatory study hall on Friday and Saturday morning from 11:00 to 12:30,” Williams said. “But once we get in the room after a game, if we have time, I know a lot of people pull out the school work.” The team sits at a 7-9 record going into the midway point of the season. With hopes for the playoffs clouding the time they can commit to midterms, the volleyball players will need to buckle down on and off the court.
ERIC GORMAN / XPRESS
TRAVELING: SF State’s Cox Stadium sits barren and unused while the majority of the athletic teams are away for games Monday, Oct. 13.