Fall 2014 Issue 9

Bill McKibben, renowned environmental activist, gives lecture at SF State

October 22, 2014 ISSUE 9 VOLUME XCIX GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

Serving the San Francisco State community since 1927

BILL MCKIBBEN ON PAGE 2

Giants win Game 1 GIANTS 7- ROYALS 1

Fans fill The Pub to celebrate 1-0 lead in World Series

SUNNY FAICHUNG LAM / SPECIAL TO XPRESS

Cecilia Lam 1979- 2014

KYLE MCLORG

kmclorg@mail.sfsu.edu

Classes at SF State weren’t cancelled Tuesday night, but they probably thinned out a little bit as Giants fans poured into The Pub on campus to watch the Giants take down the Kansas City Royals in Game 1 of the World Series 7-1.

With all seats taken long before the starting time at 5:07 p.m. and a drink line curling out the door and around the corner, The Pub transformed into a play land of orange and black.

The bar exploded at the sight of Gregor Blanco’s leadoff single and hemmed and hawed at Buster Posey getting thrown out on Pablo Sandoval’s RBI double. But by the time Hunter Pence hit his two-run blast to give the Giants a 3-0 advantage in the top of the first, pandemonium took hold of SF State’s humble little pub.

“I don’t go to school here, but I live down the street,” said 23-year-old ORANGE CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Community remembers the life of slain SF State student, a passionate advocate for social justice LULU OROZCO ohlulu@mail.sfsu.edu

DANIEL PORTER / XPRESS

CELEBRATE: Sociology major Angie Kanierwaski, left, and Broadcasting and Electronic Communication Arts major Anya Komisaryk, right, celebrate as the Giants win the first game of the World Series against the Kansas City Royals at The Pub at SF State Tuesday, Oct. 21.

University could impose student success fee CHLOE JOHNSON chloej@mail.sfsu.edu

FRANK LADRA / XPRESS

ARTISTIC: Singer Janelle Monáe performs on the Bridge Stage at Treasure Island Music Festival Saturday, Oct. 18.

Droves of music lovers flock to Treasure Island EMILIA ROSALES eer@mail.sfsu.edu

A cloud of marijuana smoke, a sea of dancing bodies and live, non-stop music engulfed Treasure Island this past weekend at the eighth annual

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Treasure Island Music Festival.

The two-day music festival, known for its non-overlapping music sets and stunning views of the San Francisco Bay, graced the city with the likes of WEEKEND CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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SF State students could face a student success fee on top of their tuition starting in 2016 if faculty, administration and the student body can all agree--and the governor is willing to approve it.

The University’s Student Affairs Committee is considering the pros and cons of imposing a mandatory fee that would pay for extra academic programs, which 12 CSUs already have in place, at an average of $300 a semester, according to the a 2014 CSU presentation to the Board of Trustees.

The fees contribute toward services like undergraduate advising, career counseling, tutoring, increased class availability and technology, depending on a campus’ unique needs.

SUCCESS CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

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Roller backpack in tow, Cecilia Lam would tap down the campus halls with her Hello Kitty walking-cane, her sounds alerting classmates and faculty of her presence. Lam, a fearlessly outspoken, hard-working woman, had her life cut short last week, allegedly at the hand of her ex-boyfriend.

“She was the type of person that would defend the defenseless, fight injustice head-on, and give her last dollar to a person less fortunate,” her family wrote of Lam, better known as Ceci, on a memorial-fund page. “Even if that meant she was to go hungry that night.”

After police released the ex-boyfriend from custody for public intoxication, police said he shot Lam Oct. 10 at the 500 block of Natoma Street.

Lam was pronounced dead a few days later at San Francisco General Hospital, according to San Francisco Police Department spokesperson Albie Esparza.

Before her death, Lam was an advocate for the prevention of domestic violence against women, her family wrote. Teachers described her as a passionate student of women’s issues and Asian-American studies, who always sat in the front row of class.

“She was always open to sharing her opinion,” classmate Arielle Santos said, who added that her death upset her given their recent interaction two weeks ago. “Once you met her you couldn’t really forget her.”

Despite struggles with back pain that prompted her to undergo surgery last semester, the 35-year-old Lam is remembered by Asian-American studies professor Isabelle Pelaud as focused on her education.

“Ceci was determined to accomplish the goals she set for herself.

Getting her baccalaureate was her top priority,” Asian-American studies professor Lorraine Dong said.

“There’s some comfort in me to know that during her last months she was happy that this was one goal she was definitely going to achieve.”

Lam first attended SF State for one year in 1997 before she returned as a junior in Fall 2013, according to Dong, who was also her main advisor.

SF STATE CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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NEWS

OCTOBER 22, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

ENVIRONMENTALIST

Bill McKibben inspires student action TIMOTHY SMITH

B

AMANDA PETERSON / XPRESS

ROOTED: Bill McKibben, author and environmentalist, poses for a photo after his lecture “Updates From the Front Lines of the Climate Fight” at McKenna Theatre Thursday, Oct. 16.

tsmith@mail.sfsu.edu

est-selling author and outspoken environmentalist Bill McKibben lit a fire underneath SF State students last Thursday with a lecture on climate change and the global fight for environmental justice.

SF State’s environmental studies department invited McKibben to lead a discussion on 350.org, an international climate movement that seeks to incite change through globally coordinated grassroots campaigns. During his lecture, McKibben celebrated SF State’s divestment efforts over the past year, and encouraged the audience to get involved with local groups.

“350.org began with me and seven undergraduates,” McKibben said. “It’s entirely possible to join in and build even bigger movements, which is the thing we need to match the money power of the fossil fuel industry.”

Twenty-five years ago this month, McKibben published the first book ever about climate change for a general audience. Raised in rural Vermont, he developed a strong attachment to nature at a young age, and that bond defined the next two decades of his life.

According to McKibben, the incredible power of the fossil fuel industry, the richest industry in human history, is to blame for the United States government’s latent response to climate change.

Human beings, and especially modern humans, are responsible for driving climate change through behaviors that force carbon into the atmosphere, thus trapping more heat, according to McKibben.

He also said climate change is responsible for a 30 percent increase in acidity in the planet’s oceans, a massive decline in the amount of snowpack in the Sierra Nevadas and the intense drought in California.

For McKibben, changing individual behaviors isn’t enough anymore - people have to organize.

“Ten years ago it dawned on me that

writing another book just wasn’t going to move the needle on this issue,” McKibben said.

Kelsey Anderson, a senior in the environmental studies program, said she was inspired by the comradery behind the climate fight.

“It’s not a one person job,” Anderson said. “It’s going to take everyone to make a difference.”

Anderson works with The Green Initiative Fund, a student-run program that aims to attain subsidized transit passes for SF State students. TGIF is one of many student groups on campus.

The 700-seat McKenna Theatre was full with students and environmentalists from around the Bay Area, who mingled before and after the event.

Imani Davis, a 22-year-old transfer student from Sacramento, found McKibben’s humble demeanor refreshing. She said it was nice to see a normal guy like him get up to speak, despite the massive challenges the movement faces.

“I think his message to everyone is that we all need to be out there and we can do something really important because I know a lot of people get stuck at the facts because it’s daunting - it’s very daunting,” Davis said.

Despite the emphasis on grassroots organization, Davis found the facts and data about climate change to be the most moving aspect of the lecture.

“It exposes people to things they might not normally look up,” Davis said.

“You know, it’s easy to go and sit for an hour and half to two hours and watch somebody speak about something that they’re very knowledgeable about, versus going home and taking that same hour and a half to do some research and be alone in your room.”

McKibben said he did not expect the pace of change to trudge along as it has in the 25 years since his book “The End of Nature” was published.

“No, somehow I thought that if all the world’s scientists sounded the alarm, the world would take notice. Silly me,” McKibben said.

CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT

SF State student remembered as strong and caring

She expected to reach her longtime goal of graduating from a university in May. “One thing that stood out for me was how strong she was, how much she really thought about the (class) topics,” Pelaud said. “She wanted to fight for social justice and for the community.”

Daphne Crane, who had Lam in three different classes over the last few semesters, said that Lam liked Sanrio, a popular Japanese company that makes Hello Kitty products, and that she wanted to be a lawyer of the people.

“She wanted to learn about experiences that weren’t necessarily her own,” said Asian-Ameri-

can studies department chair Grace Jeanmee Yoo. Her family established a GoFundMe page to commemorate her life and to bring awareness to domestic violence. Throughout the last week, the page has raised more than $14,000 for her memorial fund.

The Asian-American studies department will sponsor a teach-in about domestic violence in Lam’s memory Nov. 4 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in HSS 154. For more information contact gracey@ sfsu.edu.

Additional reporting by Hannah Mullins

NEWS

OCTOBER 22, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

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Undead students walk SF State to prepare for quake ALMA VILLEGAS

avillegas@mail.sfsu.edu

The living dead made an appearance in the quad last Thursday, falling victim to the ground-shaking Stop, Drop and Hold On drill in preparation for the next big earthquake.

As part of the annual Great California Shakeout— now with global participation — the office of emergency preparedness scheduled an earthquake drill at noon at the Malcolm X Plaza. Since the first drill in 2008, around 10 million people have participated in earthquake drills across California, including more than 415,000 participants in San Francisco, according to Shakeout, the organization that started the event.

“I don’t know about you, Abe, but I’m feeling the ground wiggling a little bit,” said emergency preparedness coordinator Gayle Orr-Smith as she shook, initiating the event by simulating the beginning of an earthquake.

SF State’s Quake the Quad earthquake drill lasted roughly half an hour, and once the “trembling” stopped, University Police Department officer Abraham Leal and Orr-Smith called out to the quad for any survivors. Seven zombies from Improv Nation, an improvised-comedy student group, slowly sprang up.

“See, they did not ‘cover, drop and hold on!’” yelled OrrSmith.

AJ Beck, one of the zombies who performed in the quad, said Improv Nation hosts their Zombie Apocalypse event every year, but this year they teamed with the office of emergency preparedness

HELEN TINNA / XPRESS

SHAKEDOWN: SF State Improv Nation performs in costume as the undead in a post-earthquake scenario during Quake the Quad in Malcolm X Plaza Thursday, Oct. 16. The group teamed up with Neighborhood Emergency Response Team volunteers to spread earthquake safety awareness.

to promote earthquake safety and to increase membership in their organization.

“Usually we just come out as zombies, this time we were able to die, so that was really fun, to have people see our death,” said Beck.

After the zombies rose in the quad to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” they made their way through the University in bloodstained rags. Orr-Smith and Leal used this transition to launch into a talk about earthquake safety and disaster preparation.

“Earthquakes can happen

when you’re driving, when you’re walking, when you’re sleeping and there’s no ideal situation in case you’re in an earthquake, so you need to know what will work in every situation,” Orr-Smith said.

They called a UPD volunteer to demonstrate a technique called Stop, Drop and Hold On which, according to emergency management experts, is the appropriate way to avoid injury and death during an earthquake.

“The most important thing during an earthquake is to protect

CSU could implement fee to support student government DANIEL RIVERA dmrivera@mail.sfsu.edu

The California State Student Association seeks to push a yearly $4 fee for increased student representation in state affairs, which would take effect Fall 2015 if passed by the CSU Board of Trustees next month.

The Student Involvement and Representation Fee, sponsored by the CSSA, is meant to equip the organization with the funding necessary to maintain the organization’s autonomy and continue its mission as a representative of all the CSUs. The fee would be voluntary and would be paid every semester, according to Meredith Turner, chief governmental officer for CSSA. Sonya Soltani, SF State graduate student and the vice president of legislative affairs for the CSSA, described the organization as the “single recognized voice for all CSU students” to advocate for financial aid opportunities, affordability and access to education on the state budget.

“We really believe in order to adequately represent students, (CSSA) needs a reliable and independent source of funding,” Soltani said.

The CSSA currently receives funding through $293,940.40

collected from membership fees through all 23 individual student governments in the CSU system and $295,000 from the chancellor’s office, according to the CSSA’s budget.

In the past, the CSSA has used its resources to connect students to low-cost and free course materials through the Affordable Learning Solutions campaign and to award

It’s small so it doesn’t burden students.

Meredith Turner, CSSA CHIEF GOVERNMENT OFFICER

grants to CSUs, enhancing their sustainability profiles through the CSSA Greenovation Fund.

The organization submitted the idea to the Board of Trustees earlier this year, and has made efforts to garner support from schools in the CSU system.

Turner gave a presentation Oct. 15 during Associated Students Inc.’s weekly Board of Directors meeting to inform the board of the student representation fee and what could be done if the fee was approved. Turner was aware of what the additional cost may

sound like to students, but stressed that it would go toward advocating for quality higher education.

“It’s small so it doesn’t burden students,” Turner said. “Unlike many other fees, these few dollars from every student will ensure that students’ priorities, like the cost of college, accessibility, class availability and many more are consistently raised with state legislators and with the chancellor and Board of Trustees.”

Soltani elaborated on SF State students’ contribution to CSAA funding when she said that 67 cents of the fee students pay into ASI goes toward CSAA. If passed, SIRF would eliminate the need for this contribution and allocate more funding for campuses.

Psychology major Shane Colombo supports the fund as long as the CSAA properly represented public universities. A recipient of financial aid, Colombo wants his tuition to ensure student interests are represented in Sacramento.

“I have some hindrance, but it’s a good idea if they respect the voices of all the CSUs,” Colombo said.

The CSAA Board of Directors voted to approve the fee in January, and the CSU Board of Trustees will vote on it this November.

your head and neck,” said Leal, explaining that injuries to other parts of the body will not impair a person’s ability to call for help, but an impact to the head and neck will make one lose consciousness.

He emphasized that taking cover under the arch of a doorway was not as effective as taking cover under a table. “That is the old way, this is the new way,” Leal said.

“We’ve learned that most people are injured when they’re entering or leaving a building during an earthquake,” said Orr-Smith.

Reflecting on the commuter aspect of the campus community, Orr-Smith said people who are caught driving during an earthquake should pull away from the road where there is no overpass or electrical wires nearby. Likewise, if a person is stuck in a moving train, passengers should stop and take cover when the conductor brings the train to a halt, according to Orr-Smith.

For people with disabilities, such as wheelchair users, she advised people to lock their wheelchairs in place and take cover against a wall. The event stirred up a discussion, prompting people to ask questions to the emergency preparedness experts.

Environmental studies major Imani Davis moved from Sacramento to San Francisco three months ago and said she slept through the 6.0 magnitude Napa earthquake on Aug. 24. She said she didn’t feel prepared to respond to an earthquake emergency.

Davis said drills are crucial and that there should be more. “It gives people a tangible experience of how it should run, because everything in theory is much different than when crowds of people are coming out of buildings,” said the 22-year-old student.

As Orr-Smith and Leal concluded the earthquake simulation, they told attendees to prepare for when an actual earthquake strikes.

“Seismic experts, though, do tell us that we are overdue as they look at the history of earthquakes in this region. It looks like we should have had some more from now since 25 years ago,” said Orr-Smith.

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NEWS

OCTOBER 22, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

Campus celebrates 50 years of master’s program The Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages was one of the first master’s program of its kind.

HANNAH MULLINS

hmullins@mail.sfsu.edu

M

ore than 50 years after the creation of the first ever graduate program for teaching English as a second language in the nation, SF State welcomed back alumni of the curriculum to campus last week.

The Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages program was established to create a rich teacher development experience for M.A. students who wanted to teach English — in the United States or abroad — to non-native speakers.

At the Seven Hills Conference Center Oct. 17, President Leslie E. Wong brought the audience back to 1964, the year they began training graduates not for a job, but a career.

“I feel very lucky that I’ve gotten to meet so many different

HENRY PEREZ / XPRESS

IN HARMONY: Faculty members Doug Brown, Barry Taylor and Tom Scovel of the Masters of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages program sing to the crowd at the 50th anniversary celebration of the TESOL program at SF State Friday, Oct. 17.

kinds of people from all over the world and I had just wonderful, wonderful teachers,” said Bali Kathleen Nelson, a 1997 graduate. “It really gave me great training in developing materials and everything I needed to go out there and make a good life as an ESL teacher.”

Nelson said she used the skills from TESOL to teach English language courses to Roman Catholic nuns at the Monastery of Perpetual Adoration in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, which led to a book and short film.

“With this program you get a really good theoretical basis and framework for teaching but then you also get a lot of opportunities to practice teaching, to volunteer to be a teacher and that to me is really important,” said graduate student Lina Jurkunas. “Also,

the tradition of this program is incredible. We’re celebrating 50 years today and that’s a very special moment. I feel very lucky and blessed to be a part of this program.”

Linda Teague, class of 1979 graduate, stepped foot on campus for the first time in over 35 years to attend the program’s anniversary. Teague had already taught English in Mexico and Japan before getting her master’s and continued to teach English as she set up schools in Brazil shortly after her graduation. Teague got out of the field in 1984 but still expressed a strong love for the community and faculty here at SF State.

“It was absolutely the thing I feel I was born to do and I hate saying stuff like that,” Teague said.

SF State’s renowned pro-

gram attracts students from all over the world, some as far as South Korea, where current student Jung Kyu Na was teaching until she came to America on her study leave.

“When I studied for the teacher’s exam back home, I studied with Dr. Brown’s books and found out he actually taught at SFSU in the M.A. TESOL program and I was like ‘that’s the school I’m going to’ and that’s when I decided to come here,” said Na. “Now I’m really satisfied with the program. It’s well balanced.”

Alumni from years past mingled with one another during the 50th anniversary over old faculty, memories and inside jokes. 2014 TESOL teacher of the year Ann Fontanella recalled the activity “turn to your partner and discuss” and the room erupt-

ed with laughter.

“Our students go to teach in a wide range of contexts, including adult schools, community colleges, private language institutes, and universities in the SF Bay Area, and across the country,” said professor David Olsher. “Our international students often return to their home countries, such as Korea, China, Japan and Taiwan, where they teach in universities or are promoted to teacher training posts for secondary school teachers.”

Friday’s anniversary displayed a long-anticipated time to come for individuals to celebrate 50 years of success. “It’s just a wonderful program, really nice teachers and nice students, because ESL teachers tend to be nice, open minded, multicultural type of people,” Nelson said.

Daly City sets fines for hosts of underage drinking DAYVON DUNAWAY

ddunaway@mail.sfsu.edu

SF State students in Daly City could be inadvertently affected by a legislative amendment to be adopted Nov. 10, which will allow police to deal out citations of up to $2,500 to hosts of parties where underage drinking occurs.

With the literature aimed at high school students, the Daly City Council set clear citations at their Oct. 13 meet-

ILLUSTRATION BY EVELYN CAICEDO / XPRESS

ing for violators of the amendment, with fines at $1,500 for the first offense, $2,000 for the second and $2,500 for the third, according to Daly City Chief of Police Manuel Martinez Jr. However, City Council Member Gonzalo Torres proposed raising fines to $3,000 for the first offense, $4,000 for the second and $10,000 for the third. Torres said that this would address the concern that party-goers would chip in to collectively pay the fine.

“If someone is holding a party and they’re going to offer this kind of substance to underage folks, they really need to feel the sting of it,” Torres said at the meeting. “That’s the only way you’re going to get the attention of a homeowner to prevent these things from happening, and hopefully prevent a tragic accident.”

SF State history major and Daly City resident Elmer Layden said the ordinance is aimed at the college stereotype.

“This is extortion rather than enforcement,” Layden

said. “It’s going to surprise students and put them in a difficult financial situation or force them to move.”

According to Martinez, when officers come to shutdown a party, the host tends to shut it down for them and fill out paperwork. Upon their second arrival, police officially issue a citation, which the amendment now sets a specific amount for.

“This looks like a law that is chasing a problem that we don’t have,” city council member Michael P. Guingona said. “It doesn’t seem that loud parties and underage drinking is going to be solved by holding these people liable.”

The “Social Host Liability” amendment aims to prevent underage drinking according to Athila Lambino, project coordinator at the North County Prevention Partnership.

“A lot of kids are drinking under their parent’s nose and they never get caught,” Lambino said. “We don’t want to hear about a high profile case involving underage drinking in the community.”

The NCPP advocates for

the ordinance to send a clear message to parents and adults of drinking age that it is illegal to furnish minors with alcohol, according to Lambino.

“We aim to change the norms and culture around irresponsible and excessive alcohol use, and reduce the likelihood of alcohol-related problems in our community,” he said.

SF State student and Daly City resident Ricky Vue said there are still many unanswered questions with the updated law.

“I would think that the small minority is paying for the larger majority that is doing the wrong,” Vue said. “The fine is the bigger issue, it’s a ridiculous amount of money.”

The council is expected to take a final vote within the coming weeks to decide whether or not to further raise the fines. The law will go into effect 30 days after its adoption.

The council is in a position to make the right choice on behalf of the city, according to Torres.

“What we’re trying to do is prevent an incident, not wait for an incident and react to it,” Torres said.

NEWS

OCTOBER 22, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

SF State’s Crime Blotter COMPILED BY XPRESS NEWS STAFF

Between Monday, Oct. 13 and Sunday, Oct. 19 the University Police Department responded to 21 incidents. Here are some of the highlights.

Monday, October 13 FIRE Police responded to a fire alarm and found an active blaze in a Buckingham Way building at 5:22 p.m. The San Francisco Fire Department contained the fire while officers controlled traffic. No injuries were reported.

Tuesday, October 14 VEHICLE DAMAGE Officers received a call of a vehicle that was damaged by an SF State worker at 8 a.m. in University Park North.

Police took a report.

Thursday, October 16 IPHONE THEFT A subject flagged down an officer and reported that her iPhone was stolen after leaving it unattended in the women’s restroom on the fourth floor of the Humanities Building between 9:30 a.m. and 9:35 a.m. The officer took a report and cited a total loss of $799.

Friday, October 17 RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY A University Park North resident reported that items were stolen from their apartment, totaling $3,575.

The burglary occurred sometime between 11 a.m. Oct. 17 and 3 p.m. Oct. 18.

Saturday, October 18 PUBLIC INTOXICATION Officers came across an unconscious subject on South State Drive at 12:49 a.m. and determined the subject was intoxicated. The subject was transported to Seton Medical Center for further evaluation.

RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY Officers responded to a report of a burglary on Serrano Drive at 9 p.m. and cited a loss of $3,939.

Officers arrived to the residence and found the suspect had left. A witness described the suspect as a black male adult possibly in his 20s who was last seen running from the area carrying a white bag.

Sunday, October 19 GRAND THEFT Campus police responded to a reported theft of two computers, two phones and an external hard drive at the Library Annex at 6:20 p.m. Officers were able to return two computers and the external hard drive to the owner with a total loss of $775.

News Bites COMPILED BY XPRESS NEWS STAFF

Science & Engineering seeking new dean The academic affairs office is accepting applications for a new College of Science & Engineering dean. Applications will be accepted and evaluated by the search committee until the position is filled. The committee will begin screening applicants Nov. 10.

Questions can be directed to Kathleen Kelly, staff liaison of the committee at atkakelly@sfsu.edu.

Campus Sustainability Day Students, faculty and staff can celebrate SF State’s annual Campus Sustainability Day today with an orchard planting at University Park North at 430 Winston Drive from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For those with bikes in need of attention, Power to the Pedal will hold a bike repair session from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Malcolm X Plaza. Concurrently, Levi’s and Goodwill are partnering up for their Mendables sale of $5 denim and repairs.

The Depot will screen “Growing

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Cities” from noon to 2 p.m., followed by a screening of “Cowspiracy” from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Tower’s Conference Center. For a full list of events, check the University website.

Webinar on student retention Thursday A free 45-minute webinar Oct. 23 at 11 a.m. by the nonprofit organization ideas42 will talk about the obstacles facing student’s academic retention and success. In collaboration with SF State, the organization will share innovative strategies they say have yielded positive results. To register for the seminar, visit http://bit.ly/1sNrYND

College of Ethnic Studies turns 45 The College of Ethnic Studies will celebrate its 45th anniversary Sunday. The first and only college of ethnic studies resulted from the 1969 student-led strike, which lasted nearly five months and is the longest in U.S. history. Speakers will lead community leaders, students, faculty and alumni at the Seven Hills Conference Center Oct. 26 from noon to 3 p.m.

Proceeds from an auction will contribute to student scholarships and their Community-University Empowerment Fund.

Tickets cost $25 for students, $35 for faculty and $45 for general admission.

CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT

Success fees to cover decreased state funds “We’re not really saying this is what we want,” said Paul Mendolla, the chair of the committee. “(Government) is not as much of a support thing, like it used to be. It’s more of an assist. We’re trying to respond to the situation, but not telling the government that it’s okay to be that way.”

The committee is divided over whether it would be fair for SF State to institute success fees, and at their Oct. 14 meeting, many committee members expressed that the burdens placed on students are already high.

According to the CSU system’s website, the current level of state funding for the universities is less than it was in 2000, despite the fact that the schools now have more students.

“Students are making up a lot of the difference,” said Erik Rosegard, professor and chair of the recreation, parks and tourism department. “(But) allowing half

the colleges to have student success fees may not be equitable.”

The state government placed a moratorium on new success fees in the CSU system when it approved a new budget in July, because of concerns that schools were passing these fees as a way to get around tuition freezes. The moratorium will expire in January of 2016, at which point CSU schools will be able to implement new success fees if the students agree to them, according to committee member Eugene Chelberg.

Meanwhile, CSUs are evaluating the results of the extra services the fees pay for, and SF State students are divided over whether they would approve of a success fee.

“I would be happy about paying it if the funds were being used appropriately,” said communications major Justin Maguire. “If there were ways to make sure that was happening, then absolutely. It sounds

like a great thing.”

Other students are not so enthusiastic about the prospect of another school-related cost, and feel that they are unfairly being made to pay for services that were once covered by tuition or government funding.

“We shouldn’t pay for something we should be getting,” said criminal justice major Edwin Arango. “It should be included already. They should be focused on reducing our costs.”

While tuition is the same at all 23 CSU campuses, success fees are used to pay for needed services on a campus-by-campus basis, according to CSU Director of Public Affairs Mike Uhlenkamp. For example, CSU Northridge used its to expand Wi-Fi and library hours, and CSU San Diego used its to hire more faculty. The fees range widely, from $35 to $780 a semester.

“There is this perception that a stu-

dent success fee is a work around (tuition freezes),” Uhlenkamp said. “That’s not necessarily the case. There is a genuine need for revenue in very targeted areas.”

Whether or not success fees actually help improve students’ grades and graduation rates is up for debate.

“We’re still looking at the data on that,” Uhlenkamp said. “It depends on who you talk to. The general idea is yes, they have. It’s our hope that we can provide a compelling case that these fees do improve success.”

The Student Affairs Committee is trying to gauge the attitude of SF State students before proposing a success fee.

Faculty representative of Student Health Services Rick Nizzardini emphasized the need for more students to be involved in the decision-making process.

“The Student Affairs Committee is looking for some students to bring their voices to this,” Nizzardini said.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

OCTOBER 22, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT

Weekend music festival

Treasure Island

PHOTOS BY FRANK LADRA / XPRESS

Alt-J, Jillian Banks (simply known as BANKS), Jungle, The Growlers and the DJ duo Classixx.

After the long, winding trail of traffic ended, attendees knew they had arrived at the festival when they laid their eyes on the colorfully-lit Ferris wheel and the iconic towering, dancing woman, crafted only of thick wire. Known as “Bliss Dance,” the sculpture has been one of the must-see landmarks at Treasure Island since 2011.

“It has been an amazing, amazing show. Amazing location, amazing venue,” said SF State senior and American studies major Matt Lambert as he strolled happily through the festival Saturday afternoon. “It is such a well laid out program. I’ve just been having a blast, and the weather has been amazing and warm. The Ferris wheel is always probably one of the best attractions for this whole event.”

Saturday was dedicated to hip-hop and electronica music with headliners from Outkast to Janelle Monae. Sunday featured rock and indie music with artists from Massive Attack to The Growlers, which set the two days apart from one another.

Jarid Foster, an SF State senior majoring in electrical engineering, attended both days of the weekend and enjoyed Outkast’s performance in particular. He said that although the duo did a great job in keeping the set upbeat overall, their slower songs emphasized how artistic they are as musicians.

“Saturday is also a little more electronic driven, a little more dancey,” said Foster.

“Historically, I feel like Sunday is more indie-rockish. I definitely saw a lot more older people on Sunday, which was nice honestly. It was a little bit more diverse age group.”

Early bird tickets were sold out in the final days before the weekend, however, general admission tickets were available for last minute purchasers up until the festival began.

The festival offers limited parking on the island at a hefty price each year,

but festival-goers had access to a complimentary shuttle to and from the Bill Graham Civic Center Auditorium in downtown San Francisco.

In addition to the assortment of tented venues, ranging from GoPro to CrossRoads Trading Co., the festival hosted a full two days of DIY art workshops. Face painting and fresh-flower crown-making were a couple of the hottest workshops of the weekend.

“There is more people in general this year. Last year was more chilly and windy,” said Shay “Moonlit” McCulloch, the owner and designer of Moonlit Jewelry and a second-year vendor at the festival.

Silent Frisco also hosted a silent disco, set up at a distance from the two stages so festival-goers could take a break from the live music and step inside a silent dance party, surrounded by people in headphones.

“I think (the festival is) a combination of culture and music. Also food,” said Jiayi Liao, an SF State alumna and a production assistant working at the festival. “It’s not only about the music. Even the music is all kinds, it’s not commercial or underground.”

Noise Pop and Another Planet Entertainment, two music companies based out of San Francisco, have been producing the festival since 2007.

Massive Attack was the concluding performance of the weekend, ending the festival on a serious note with political sayings and images flashing on the big screen behind them. In previous years, the festival has ended with attendees participating in a enormous dance party.

The line for the complimentary shuttle buses were long, but moved quickly. The streets around the festival were packed full of cars, shuttle buses and festival goers.

However, commuters were able to leave the island within 10 minutes.

ISLAND LIFE: (Counterclockwise from the top) Artist Sterling Johnson, also known as the Bubblesmith, creates bubbles at the Treasure Island Music Festival on Treasure Island in San Francisco Saturday, Oct. 18. Lorena Cortez, right, helps Sabine Wilkin, left, tie a wreath of hand woven flowers onto her head at the festival Saturday, Oct. 18. Festival attendee Gina Aldana from Santa Barbara dances during an XXYYXX performance Saturday, Oct. 18. Rapper Patrick Morales, better known as Wiki, of hip-hop group Ratking performs on the Bridge Stage Saturday, Oct. 18.

Chillwave musical group Washed Out performs at Treasure Island Music Festival Sunday, Oct. 19. Festival participants roam the grounds surrounding art sculpture “Bliss Dance” on Treasure Island in San Francisco Saturday, Oct. 18.

RYAN LEIBRICH / XPRESS

FRANK LADRA / XPRESS

8

SPORTS

OCTOBER 22, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

Volleyball continues to shatter low expectations JOHN MONTOYA

Going into the season, the SF State volleyball team had 33 votes on the coach’s poll to finish in last place. Here at the midpoint, the team defied the bottom-feeder expectations with a 9-9 record, and have a chance to get over .500 as they head into next week.

The storyline of this year’s Gators squad has been its consistency in dominating on Fridays and faltering on Saturdays. The team was 0-5 on Saturdays this year before they headed into last weekend’s matches, including a shutout loss to the Cal State Stanislaus Warriors.

“I think that we have done pretty well, but obviously we haven’t been as successful as we would like to be on Saturdays,” said junior Jessica Nicerio. “I think that we’re working hard in practice and hopefully we can see the results soon.”

The team finally broke its Saturday curse last weekend, winning back-to-back games for the first time this season against Cal State LA and Cal State Dominguez Hills by a combined score of 6-1.

The Gators have put together quality wins against some of the California Collegiate Athletic Association’s best teams, including two victories over Cal State LA (8-5) and second place CSU San Bernardino (10-3). The Gators looked like world beaters in those games, but at times have played down to the levels of inferior teams in losses.

“I think we’ve been really excited to beat some of our toughest opponents and some of the best teams in conference,” senior Jacquie Brice said. “That’s obviously a plus but there’s

jmontoya@mail.sfsu.edu

definitely a lot we need to focus on in the second half of conference.”

The 2014 Gators have a knack for being tenacious in tough matches. The team has managed to take teams to the fourth or fifth set in seven of its nine losses.

As of late, the Gators have relied on freshman Samantha Krakower and sophomore Malia Muin to fill the spots of injured seniors Melissa Horton and Jazmine Williams. Both players have filled in nicely for the seniors, posting career highs in kills.

“We’re asking them to do a lot of high level volleyball things,” Muhe said. “There have been frustrations at times with it, but when we execute it in practice and we see it executed in games it’s really exciting.”

Although making the playoffs will be difficult for the Gators, the players made names for themselves thus far. Jaclyn Clark’s 215 kills ranks her fifth in the conference. In addition, Nicerio now ranks third all-time for digs at SF State with 1,193, and Brice ranks fourth alltime at SF State in assists with 1,867.

The second half of the season will start with a four game road trip for the Gators against some of the best the CCAA has to offer.

“There’s always room for improvement, and I think consistency is one of those things,” Muhe said. “Just being consistent in how we’re executing and being disciplined is something that we’re working on, and I think it’s something that we will continue to work on.”

MARTIN BUSTAMANTE / XPRESS

HUSTLE: Marisa Rojo of the SF State Gators bumps the ball during a match against the CSU Dominguez Hills Toros Saturday Oct. 18.

Men’s basketball focuses as season nears ELIZABETH CARRANZA

ecarranz@mail.sfsu.edu

After losing seven seniors and with the 2014-2015 season right around the corner, SF State’s men’s basketball team is focusing on team chemistry and the importance of defense to lead them to a winning season.

“We have a whole new group and it’s going to be very interesting to see how the roles play out (and) how they come together and form a unit,” said men’s basketball head coach Paul Trevor. “They have done a great job so far and we’ve had great leadership from our only two returning seniors.”

The Gators are coming back from a 14-12 season, where the team ranked eighth out of 12 teams in the west region, with top returning players Bren Haley and Udun Osakue leading the way.

“I think all the players will make a change, but the biggest impact guys (are) the new players Jon McMurry from Ventura College, and Floyd Wormley from Yuba College,” Trevor said. “They have the ability to score, and they played two years of basketball at the junior college level. They have an understanding of what it takes to win and hopefully that can carry over well here.”

Last season the Gators’ defense and offense ranked 10th out of 12 teams. The team had an average of 35 rebounds, 7.3 steals and 1.9 blocks per game.

“We need to focus more on rebounding, playing together as a team and being consistent with defense,” Haley said.

“We have to be ready to work hard everyday and change our mindset in tough

situations. Working as a unit instead of individuals is very important.”

During the off-season, the Gators’ practices are built around a strength program where the players improve and work on key skills such as rebounding and later work in small groups to focus on defense and offense.

“We try to go through every possible scenario. The majority of the emphasis is defense, but coach Trev talks about the competitive intensity in all the areas,” McMurry said. “We need to focus a lot on defense, that’s something coach Trev literally kills us about. We have guys that can score, so if we can keep the other teams from scoring, we can win.”

The conference saw a lot of improvement from top conference teams like Cal Poly Pomona, San Bernardino and Chico State. Trevor said the Gators will have tough matches up against these teams, but the rigorous practice regimen should help them fare well going forward.

“I think we need to be better in situations and being able to maintain our defensive intensity throughout the 40-minute games, instead of having spurts,” Trevor said. “I’d like to see this team to continue to get better throughout the season, learn to play through adversity, represent the University really well and hopefully win a CCAA title.”

The team’s first tip off will be in College Park, Maryland Nov. 1 for an exhibition match against the University of Maryland Terrapins.

MARTIN BUSTAMANTE / XPRESS

SPORTS

OCTOBER 22, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT

CHEERS: (ABOVE) SF State Latin studies major Juan Santamaria cheers for the Giants as they face off against the Kansas City Royals during the bottom of the ninth inning of the first game of the World Series at The Pub Tuesday, Oct. 21.

(RIGHT) SF State Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts senior Shannon Conklin, right, cheers while watching the first game of the World Series in The Pub Tuesday, Oct. 21.

PHOTOS BY DANIEL PORTER / XPRESS

Orange and black fever takes over The Pub He said he hadn’t watched a game at The Pub before, but he loved the atmosphere. “It’s a good crowd. There are a fair amount of Giants fans here, not a lot of fair-weather fans.”

Rucker was part of a fairly large and raucous crowd in the back of the bar, leading “Let’s go Giants” chants and hanging on every pitch. Kat Yue, 22, was the strong, silent type of the group, watching the game with intent in her black Hunter Pence shirt.

“I work on campus, and plus it’s more fun to watch it here,” Yue said. With all of her roommates at work, she said she sought out fans at The Pub for the game.

While the Giants were working Royals starting pitcher “Big Game” James Shields’ pitch count up to nearly 50 through two innings, Kansas City was putting a little pressure of their own on Madison Bumgarner. Despite throwing only 31 pitches through the first two innings, Bumgarner faced a major jam by loading up the bases in the bottom of the third. The Pub roared as he escaped by forcing first baseman Eric Hosmer to ground out. “(I was) not nervous at all,” student Davis Hillman, 22, said after the inning was over. “I trust Bumgarner. He has always come through and I know he does great in the postseason.”

Hillman’s confidence paid dividends in the next frame, as an onslaught of base runners chased Shields out of the game, on the hook for five earned runs. The Pub transformed into the left field bleachers at AT&T Park, with “What’s the matter with Shields? He’s! A! Bum!” raining ruthlessly at the television.

“I grew up in LA but my dad for some reason hated the Dodgers,” said Noah Jacobson,

who came to the Bay Area in August. “Once I moved up here, I was like, ‘I could be a Giants fan.’ This bar has had a huge influence on that.”

Jacobson said he’s come with his friends to watch almost every game at The Pub, and despite the added pressure of the World Series, it wasn’t at its wildest Tuesday night.

“We’ve been rowdier,” Jacobson said before arguing with his friends over whether the Pirates game or Game 5 of the NL Championship Series took that crown.

The debate came to a close in the top of the seventh, when Joe Panik drove in two more runs to give the Giants a 7-0 lead and put the game all but out of reach. The Pub roared as San Francisco piled on and made it clear that Game 1 was theirs, and the whole crowd sang along to “Don’t Stop Believing” during the seventh inning stretch.

“It all comes down to two things every other year: an awesome bullpen and no one can handle us in October,” said 24-year-old Matvey Voishchev after the final out.

Voishchev said he has been a Giants fan since he moved to the Bay Area from Russia four years ago. “We have something they never have: We’ve been there.”

Plenty of the fans at The Pub had predictions before the game, including Yue, who said the Giants would win in five games, and Jacobson, who called his new home team in six. Still, so many have been swayed by San Francisco’s convincing victory.

“Giants in six is still my prediction, but we’ll see,” Jacobson said, but added with a shrug, “Who knows — it might be five.”

9

10 OPINION

OCTOBER 22, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

STAFF EDITORIAL

The future of local news depends on readers

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

S

ince the San Francisco Bay Guardian closed last week, columnists have been hypothesizing about the cause. Was it a bad business model or the paper’s dwindling progressive audience?

Whether the event signifies the death or rebirth of local news, it was a turning point for local journalism.

Any solution to the problem will come from both journalists and readers.

The closure of the Bay Guardian is not a unique case.

In 2009, the Pew Research Center reported that membership in the Association of Alternative Newsmedia was at a high point of 135 publications. The association currently has 115 members, according to its website.

Although alternative weeklies have been closing across the country recently, this case

hits home for SF State journalism students — and Xpress writers — who have enjoyed a long relationship with the Bay Guardian, where students have often gone on to work.

We now have one less possibility to receive a steady paycheck or place to practice our storytelling skills.

The loss of the Bay Guardian is also unfortunate for the general public, who depend on the combination of many different perspectives and overlapping coverage from various publications for a healthy news environment.

For journalism students, the shuttering of the Bay Guardian is a reminder that the future will look very different than the past.

We will always need local news to maintain healthy local political systems and create discourse in communities.

The reaction to the closure of the Bay Guardian has pro-

vided some positive signs for the rebirth on local news.

Soon after the paper closed, fans rallied behind a new Facebook page called The Guardian in Exile. Although it isn’t clear if a new organization will come out of the page, the community seems invested in finding a replacement for the Bay Guardian.

Journalists need more support like this if we want to revive local news.

After Tim Redmond left his editing position at the Guardian last June following a disagreement over staff cuts, he launched 48hillsonline.org, a news site covering many of the same issues as the Bay Guardian.

While online models for national news coverage seem to be falling into place, sites like 48hills cannot yet fulfill the role that the Bay Guardian held because they don’t have as large an audience as established

local newspapers.

Since every American city has separate problems from the next, there will always be a need for journalists who have a deep understanding of any given town.

In turn, we need responsive communities to be invested in the life and death of local news organizations by reading, commenting on and caring about the news.

After the death of the Bay Guardian, both readers and journalists should take another look at how we can reshape local news for the future.

In order to keep the local news alive, young writers will need to find new solutions to this looming problem.

With the help of the public, we can discover what readers want to see and improve the news industry. The future of journalism depends on it.

IDA MOJADAD

NEWS EDITOR idajane@mail.sfsu.edu

ANNA HECHT

A&E EDITOR ahecht@mail.sfsu.edu

Check your facts, phony feminists

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

JESSE GARNIER

MULTIMEDIA ADVISER jgarnier@sfsu.edu

SCOT TUCKER

PHOTO ADVISER tucker@sfsu.edu

EVA CHARLES

ADVERTISING & BUSINESS echarles@mail.sfsu.edu

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

TAYLOR LONIGRO

tlonigro@mail.sfsu.edu

Feminism is for everyone, but both women and men continue to misconstrue the meaning of feminism and what it really stands for.

A Nigerian writer once defined a feminist best as a “person who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes.”

Yes, this part of the writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s speech entitled “We Should All Be Feminists” was the sample highlighted in Beyoncé’s song “Flawless.”

“I think one of the biggest misconceptions about feminism is that it liberates women at expense and cost of men,” said sexuality studies graduate student Chris Bannister. “In reality feminism seeks to expose the heteronormative and repressive sexist agenda that has been placed upon both men and women.”

There are many men who align themselves with feminism, and I applaud them for that. But it also seems there are others who identify as feminist as an excuse for mistreating women.

This is especially portrayed in media by high-profile celebrities.

Most people have heard pop artist Robin Thicke’s song “Blurred Lines” and have seen the controversial music video that was labeled “rapey” and misogynistic. Thicke then responded to the negative flack arguing that it was acceptable for him to objectify women because he has so much respect for them.

“We’re the perfect guys to make fun of this,” said Thicke in an interview with GQ magazine.

He also goes as far as to say that

ILLUSTRATION BY KAITLIN AGUILAR & SOFIA LIMON / XPRESS

the song is a “feminist movement in itself” on The Today Show.

It has been heard time and time again that men engage in sexist behavior but actually claim they love women and see women as equals. Labeling one’s self as a feminist does not erase this sexist behavior.

“Misogyny was prevalent in most aspects of my life, from the music I listened to even the words I used,” said Naimah Mumin, a computer science major. “And once I started discovering some little chunks of feminism, the entire world was revealed and I was able to critically look at the culture I lived in.”

Men are not the only culprits of misinterpreting what feminism really stands for. When people hear the word feminism, what

comes to mind is man hating and bra burning, but this is a stigma of the definition of feminism and an ignorant approach to the term.

In 2012, pop star Taylor Swift was asked if she identified as a feminist in an interview with The Daily Beast, implying she did not exactly understand what the term meant.

“I don’t really think about things as guys versus girls. I never have. I was raised by parents who brought me up to think if you work as hard as guys, you can go far in life,” she said.

High-profile celebrities like Taylor Swift and Robin Thicke are constantly in the public eye.

So many people look up to them as authoritative figures offering guidance and all-around idols.

Unfortunately, their credibility can be easily diminished when

ignorant statements are made.

Luckily, Swift decided to look up what the term actually meant and corrected herself.

“As a teenager, I didn’t understand that saying you’re a feminist is just saying that you hope women and men will have equal rights and equal opportunities,” said Swift in Vanity Fair.

What it seemed to me, the way it was phrased in culture, society, was that you hate men. And now, I think a lot of girls have had a feminist awakening because they understand what the word means.”

Not everyone must identify as a feminist. It is important, however, for everyone to educate themselves on the topic in order to intelligently back up his or her stance on it.

OPINION 11

OCTOBER 22, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

ANIMAL CRUELTY

The end to animal abuse starts with speaking up Educate yourself on animal cruelty laws to prevent future abuse

O

NICOLE PARADISE

nparadis@mail.sfsu.edu

n an unusually hot San Francisco day, I came across a dog, trapped in a car and whining in the parking lot of a Target in Daly City, Calif. The owner left no windows down and no water for the dog to drink.

After waiting for more than 20 minutes, hoping the owner was just running in, I left disappointed, wishing I had known the potential legal consequences of the owner’s actions before running into this situation. People who are cruel to animals deserve to be convicted and we are responsible for making sure they get it.

Sadly, this happens too often and we are all partially to blame.

In today’s world, people want to bring their pets everywhere they go: to the mall, grocery store or even a doctor’s appointment. Because animals are not permitted everywhere that we are, they often get left behind in the car, anxiously waiting for their owner

ILLUSTRATION BY JULIA SCHABER / SPECIAL TO XPRESS

to return.

The reality of wanting your furry little companion along for the ride may just lead you to unknowingly commit a crime.

There are more than 50 laws in California alone that deal with the mistreatment of animals. Penal code 597.7, enacted in 2006, is one that everyone should be familiar with. It prohibits leaving an animal in an unattended vehicle under any conditions that could endanger their health.

All U.S. states have laws prohibiting animal cruelty and, excluding South Dakota, contain felony provisions. However, a law is only as good as its enforcement. This is why animals rely on humans to protect them by reporting animal abuse.

According to the Humane Society, most cases of animal cruelty go unreported, leaving the issue unrecognized.

I am guilty of not reporting the dog I saw in the car that day. I went

home and thought about it all day, wishing that I had done something, but in that moment I didn’t think there was much I could do to make a difference.

The first conviction of the penal code warrants a maximum fine of $100. Although, if the unattended animal suffers a “great bodily injury,” its owner can be confronted with six months in county jail and a fine up to $500.

Penal code 597.7 also states that an officer has every right to rescue an animal from the vehicle, even if this means breaking into the car. So, if you are bummed about that $100 to $500 fine you are about to receive, you better start saving for a new window as well.

In a 2007 Humane Society study, it was found that the most common media-reported animal cruelty cases involved dogs (64.5 percent), particularly pit bulls. People tend to stereotype pit bulls as mean, aggres-

sive animals. Perhaps this is because of the way that humans treat them. The abused dogs are desperate and look for a way to defend themselves from their abusive owners.

Animal cruelty isn’t strictly defined as abusing an animal. Simply failing to take proper care of one is also considered animal abuse.

The Humane Society defines neglect as not giving an animal the appropriate food, water, shelter or vet care. Animals who die of neglect can suffer just as much as animals who are harmed on purpose.

It doesn’t matter whether the animal is a dog, cat, horse or bird. Lack of responsibility for one’s pet is animal cruelty no matter how you look at it, and we need to start speaking up and making a change. This behavior cannot go unrecognized any longer, and the next time I witness animal cruelty I don’t want to be left too unsure to act.

My love-hate relationship with the Oakland Raiders SERGIO PORTELA

sportela@mail.sfsu.edu

I’ve been in an abusive relationship with the Oakland Raiders for 12 years, and the name-calling and the double takes have only gotten worse.

“Get rid of that backpack!”

I put on my leather Raiders hat and I feel like I’m going to get cat-called like a girl in a short skirt walking through downtown San Francisco.

“Hey, take off that shirt!”

I can feel them undressing me with their eyes and replacing my team’s gear with San Francisco 49ers memorabilia.

I’m spoken for, 49er fans, okay? Your advances aren’t working.

I’ve been a Raiders fan since I was a kid, and consider it a family tradition.

I’m drawn to being a rebel, the anti-hero in that “silver and black” way. And all the taunting and name calling will

be worth it when the team gets back to prominence and I can say I was still by its side — even after everything the boys have put me through.

They haven’t produced a winning season since 2002, but even that season ended in our demolition by the Buccaneers in the Super Bowl to the tune of 48-21.

I’ve sat through bad draft picks over and over again. Hell, I couldn’t tell you the last time I was happy with a draft class. I could go to Wikipedia right now and tell you who we should have drafted, but I won’t because I don’t want to bawl my eyes out at all the awesome names left on the board.

In the past decade the Raiders have drafted “nobodies” and turned down future Hall of Famers like Aaron Rodgers, Larry Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson, and football fans are beginning to take notice.

“Just leave them already,” they say.

“All they do is hurt you,” they say. “You deserve better,” they say.

“It’s okay, there is always next year,” I reply. “They don’t mean to,” I cry. “Derek Carr is playing well,” I sigh.

Despite all of this, I have never given up on my team. I still wear my collection of shirts, jerseys and hats with pride, but believing in the Raiders is starting to get really tough. I feel like I’m in that bad Chris Rock movie, but the Raiders are my wife and the Seattle Seahawks are Kerry Washington.

This season isn’t changing much for our relationship. We have the worst record in the NFL at 0-6 and we fired Dennis Allen, our head coach of three years, after an abysmal showing in London against the Miami Dolphins.

This chain of events breaks my heart because this season was one of the few I have looked forward to since former head coach Hue Jackson took over in 2011 and led us to an 8-8 record.

Overall, the Raiders are an old team without young talent on the roster. Other than Jackson, the coaching hires have never been great. I don’t believe many coaches want to come and coach here, especially with Reggie McKenzie as the general manager. He hasn’t been able to put together a good roster since he first arrived.

The only way we can get back on the right track is if we get rid of McKenzie, and start from scratch all over again — something all Raiders fans, myself included, are tired of hearing. It hurts to say, but this may be one of the last chances the team has of making amends for the stuff they’ve put me through.

I’m not saying I’d leave them for another team, though. I’m just saying I need a little space to be on my own for a while, you know? They just haven’t been treating me right.