Fall 2016 Issue 8

GOLDEN GATE XPRESS Serving the San Francisco State community since 1927

Volume CIII, Issue 8

FREE SINGLE COPIES

Wednesday – October 12, 2016

goldengatexpress.org Jason Wu, head of the University Police Department looks out on campus during a portrait in his office on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016.

Photo by Garrick Wong

New UPD chief brings old-school touch to community policing

by Kelsey Lannin klannin@mail.sfsu.edu

After a 25-year career with the U.S. Park Police that included stints as a detective, a narcotics enforcement officer and a DARE officer, SF State’s new Chief of Police Jason Wu said he still considers himself a student.

“One of my philosophies in life is that it’s good to have exposure,” Wu said. “You always have to learn.

It’s so important to have personal growth, educational growth as well as professional growth. To this day,

I’m still learning.”

Deputy Chief of Police Reggie Parsons said that the University has typically hired from within for the position, but Wu’s experience outside of academia is a great asset.

“He’s coming in with a fresh perspective that adds a lot of value and depth,” Parson said.

Wu cont. pg. 2

Depot hosts fall fiesta

by Mariana Raschke mraschke@mail.sfsu.edu Students huddled together in the corner of the vast space talking and laughing –– but not dancing –– as DJ Leydis played a mix of reggaeton and top 40 in Jacobs Hall on Thursday night.

The Fall Fiesta, organized by The Depot, hosted Bay Area Latino artists for a night of music and dancing.

As the night progressed, more students found their rhythm on the floor while bands Soltrón and Bang Data performed a mixture of AfroCaribbean rhythms, cumbia, jazz and samba. The initial timidity of the night soon faded as more people danced to the festive tempo of the music.

“We did not intentionally intend this event to coincide with Latinx Heritage Month,” said The Depot Venue manager Nilo Amiri. “It just happened to fall at that time. It’s

a dance friendly event that allows people to engage more with artists.”

The location changed from its usual venue in the lower conference level of the Cesar Chavez Student Center, which might have curtailed students from attending the event.

But regardless, the energy from the dancers who let their bodies sway to the music was infectious and encouraged more to join in.

Fiesta cont. pg. 6

Trump avoids lewd tape in debate

Rodent sightings in Tower dorms

by Ahalya Srikant – pg. 3

by Michelle Nunez – pg. 5

Soltrón plays their set during a Fall Fiesta held in Jack Adams Hall at SF State on Thursday Sept. 7, 2016. The fiesta featured a Soltrón, a band from San Francisco’s Mission District and Bang Data from the Bay Area. Photo by Aleah Fajardo

Kid Cudi post Athlete’s dreams take reveals societal fault unexpected turn

by Jordan Vail – pg. 10

by Laura Monique Ordoñez – pg. 11

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NEWS

goldengatexpress.org Wednesday | October 12, 2016

New chief brings fresh perspective Parson said he and Wu bonded quickly over the fact that they both majored in psychology and said that this background helps to foster a foundational understanding of the value in community policing.

“We’re trying to get back to engaging with our community,” Parson said. “Growing up, I knew the local officers in my neighborhood.

We really want to get back to that.

Rebranding UPD so people get comfortable with us.”

While the fresh approach will include building University police social media accounts, Wu is also implementing “old school” tactics such as foot patrols to increase visibility and the distribution of paper flyers with crime-prevention tips around campus housing.

Wu described his idea for a photo contest in which students would be challenged to spot the police chief drinking boba tea and post the photo to the University police Facebook page for a prize.

“It’s so important to have that

“

relationship with the public,” Wu said. “To let them know that the police are more than just enforcing the law — we are a part of the community.”

“He is a person who truly cares for the people who work for him and that’s key,” said David Mulholland, statewide interoperability coordinator at DC Homeland Security, who worked with Wu in a previous position at the U.S. Park Police.

Michael Cronin, Tiburon chief of police, said Wu will work well with the student population.

“I couldn’t have thought of a better guy for this job, and I know a lot of police chiefs,” Cronin said. “I was trying to recruit the guy to come here.”

Wu said he knew as early as high school that he wanted to become a police officer but that getting his education was always a top priority.

“I felt it was very important to have a college degree,” Wu said.

“That a was a personal challenge and goal for me.”

I couldn’t have thought of a better guy for this job, and I know a lot of police chiefs.

Michael Cronin

Jason Wu, head of the University Police Department is seen in the reflection of his plaque in his office on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016. Photo by Garrick Wong

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Wu cont. pg. 1

University police encourage vigilance after burglaries SF State police are currently investigating nine burglaries that happened between Sept. 2 and Sept. 21 in University Park South.

According to University police, three of the burglaries were forced entries, with suspects gaining access into the building by breaking windows and doors and two of the burglaries had no signs of forced entry. University police were unsure how the suspects gained entry in four of the burglaries that took place on Sept.

20 and Sept. 21. Campus police said all the victims were asleep in the residence when the crimes occurred.

“UPD has not identified the suspects and has not made any arrests for the cases. They are coordinating investigative efforts with SFPD,” said University spokesperson, J. Elizabeth Smith, in an email.

The incidents reported occurred on the 1700, 1500 and 500 blocks of Holloway Avenue, the 100 block of Serrano Drive, the 600 block of Font Boulevard and on Pinto and Cardenas Avenues.

University police urge all students living around campus not to leave high-value items such as laptops near windows. It was also suggested that phones, wallets and purses be kept away from windows, because it is easy to smash the window and take these portable items.

Students have options to help protect themselves from burglaries and safe proof their homes by using a free service offered by the nonprofit group San Francisco Safety Awareness For Everyone.

SAFE helps safeguard homes for renters and homeowners and offers seminars on how to make your home less attractive to burglars.

“We conduct security surveys for both single family homes and multi-unit buildings (apartments and condominiums). The security surveys are free of charge for single family homes and there is a nominal fee for multiunit buildings,” said Wilfred Sunga, safety and security specialist at SAFE, in an email.

Residents of West Portal have used the services provided by SAFE to reduce burglaries in the neighborhood.

“The neighbors who had the assessments done have shared some of the key findings and it has had a ripple effect,” said Andrew Segal, committee chair of Crime and Public Safety, in an email. “They’ve arranged speakers (police, district attorneys , and home security specialists) who have given us a better understanding of the criminal justice system and how to help it work for us. All in all, SAFE has been a real benefit to the neighborhood.”

Security specialists at SAFE also say three factors that contribute to home burglaries are visibility, time and noise. Setting up your place of living in a way that makes it difficult to get

“

I do feel safe at the dorms. I feel like that checking in our keys really keeps out anyone that’s not supposed to be there.

Alan Benitez

in and out unnoticed by neighbors or a passerby decreases the chance of robbery, even if you feel safe at home or if you live in the dorms.

Some dorm residents feel protected by the way SF State housing and officials check in their keys at the front desk of the housing buildings.

“I do feel safe at the dorms. I feel like that checking in our keys really keeps out anyone that’s not supposed to be there,” said Alan Benitez, a computer science major.

“We combine common sense with proven techniques to increase safety at home, on the streets, public transportation, ATM safety and vehicle safety,” said Sunga. “We provide information for victims of crime, including sexual assault and domestic violence victims and tips for people with disabilities. We have a multilingual and multicultural team that can tailor safety presentations to any group.”

SAFE has been lauded by SFPD officials

“

by Jason Rejali jrejali@mail.sfsu.edu

for possibly decreasing crime in the City with their help.

“They are instrumental in reaching out to the community and organizing neighborhood watch groups that help alleviate concerns of citizens and educate them on crime issues that affect them...I believe they are responsible for helping dramatically bring down crime in the city,” said Captain Joseph McFadden of the Ingleside police station, in an email.

UPD wants students to make sure all their doors are closed and locked even while at home. They also ask others to remain alert when leaving and entering their residence. The police also advise students to leave a light on at night as a deterrent towards criminals. In case you see something suspicious, you can call the campus police department at 415-338-222 or 911 in case of emergencies.

NEWS

goldengatexpress.org Wednesday | October 12, 2016

3

Sups hear panels report on SFPD bias

by Jason Rejali jrejali@mail.sfsu.edu

Community members storm San Francisco Distict 10 supervisor Malia Cohen’s office at City Hall on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016. The board heard from judges and members of the public to address findings of the Blue Ribbon Panel report on transperacy, accountability and fairness in law enforment on Oct. 4. Photo by Jason Rejali

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors heard from judges and members of the public at their meeting last week to address the findings of the Blue Ribbon panel’s report on transparency, accountability and fairness in law enforcement.

The Blue Ribbon panel is an advisory body to the San Francisco district attorney. It was formed in May 2015 after offensive, racist and homophobic text messages from a handful of SFPD officers were disclosed to the public by the FBI. The Panel’s job was to begin a cultural study of the SFPD and to bring recommendations to the Board of Supervisors and the SFPD. “What we know from this history, these instances of misconduct are not isolated instances or aberrations, rather they are part of a 79-year pattern of systemic misconduct and cultural entrenchment within the department,” said Blue Ribbon Panel Judge Ladoris Cordell.

Supervisor John Avalos became flustered during the meeting about the lack of response to the panel’s 85 recommendations for implementing effective policing and policy and asked San Francisco Police Chief Toney Chaplin for “a written report about

your timeline for implementing reform based on the Blue Ribbon Panel.”

“We’re taking these reports and using them. And you talk about Blue Ribbon and how do we implement it so fast. We didn’t. We’ve been implementing this stuff,” Chaplin said.

According to the report, the deaths of Alex Nieto on March 21, 2014, and Mario Woods on Dec. 2, 2015 were officer-involved shootings where the officers on scene were cleared to return to duty. This has caused tension between law enforcement and some members of the community.

Two weeks prior to this hearing, members from the Justice 4 Mario Woods Coalition and Justice For Alex Nieto marched from office to office at City Hall on Sept. 21, filling the offices and looking to speak with supervisors and their aides to support the hearing on the Blue Ribbon Panel report. Two weeks later Supervisor Malia Cohen helped sponsor the hearing.

The report was worked on by seven law firms, two policy firms, and three judges to study possible bias in law enforcement. Its aim is to engage the Police Officers Association and to seek reforms to their culture.

One of the Blue Ribbon Panel’s recommendations to the SFPD was about department general orders, which handle the policies and procedures of officers, and to make those orders open to the public online without the need for a public records

request. The Blue Ribbon Panel also saw that many policies and procedures have not been updated since the 1990s.

The Panel suggested at the Board of Supervisors meeting to create an Office of Inspector General that could regularly audit the SFPD and Office of Citizen Complaints (OCC).

The report also stated that the Police Commission should create policies for body-worn camera footage and when to allow their use in disciplinary proceedings.

“If we are talking about true change, we need to have everything revised and looked over and start from the beginning, to go over all the policies about fairness and discrimination,” said SF State’s Black n’ Brown Liberation Coalition organizer, Imani C. Davis.

Davis also said that police structures and any implementations of those policies from SFPD would have an impact on the lives of students and their neighborhoods.

Ghila Andemeskel, a biology major at SF State, said that larger actions need to be taken to make changes to SFPD’s transparency.

“I think there’ll be some moderate changes,” Andemeskel said. “There won’t be changes to how they select police chiefs, and the transparency in the selection of the police commission won’t change. Changes like that need to be done on a state level.”

Trump avoids addressing sexist tape in debate two

by Ahalya Srikant asrikant@mail.sfsu.edu The second Presidential debate of 2016 began with the highly anticipated topic of Donald Trump’s sexual assault comments from a recently surfaced 2005 hot mic tape.

The tape was recorded prior to an interview with NBC “Today Show” host Billy Bush, published by the Washington Post, in which Trump, unaware that his mic was on and recording, made sexually aggressive comments about women, saying he would “Grab them (women) by the pussy,” Trump says. “And when you’re a star, they let you do it.”

Moderator Anderson Cooper read aloud the transcript from the tape of Trump’s sexually aggressive comments and asked Trump if he knew that the statements he had made on the tape were a promotion of sexual assault.

“No I didn’t say that at all,” Trump said at first, denying he had said the statements on the tape at all.

This was fact-checked to be untrue

by NPR news. He then changed the conversation to ISIS. Trump deflected the question

about his sexual assault comments five more times to talk about immigrants from the Middle East, Bill Clinton, and Hillary Clinton’s emails.

“That was locker room talk, as I told you. That was locker room talk,” was Trump’s final statement on the tape.

Clinton responded, first to the tape and then about previous remarks Tump had made.

“Everyone can draw their own conclusions tonight,” Hillary Clinton responded. “If the man in the video, the man on the stage tonight, respects women.”

Clinton then listed other people she felt Donald Trump had disrespected, including Captain Humayan Kahn’s family who spoke at the Democratic Primary Convention, U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel who Trump said couldn’t hear a case about Mexican immigration, cameraman Serge Kovaleski who Trump mocked because of his disability, and President Barack Obama when Trump spent years demanding his birth certificate.

The rest of the debate proceeded with the town hall style format, with audience members asking both Trump and Clinton pre-checked questions.

Presidential nominees Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton particpate in the second presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016. Photo by Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images The final question was designed to bring the two candidates together.

The question, asked by Karl Becker, asked the two candidates

what they respected about each other.

“I respect his children,” Clinton said. “His children are incredibly able and devoted.”

Trump thanked her for her compliment, saying “She doesn’t quit. She doesn’t give up. I respect that.”

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NEWS

goldengatexpress.org Wednesday | October 12, 2016 Democratic candidate for Supervisor of District 1 Richie Greenberg (left) speaks with SF State student Christian Nolan-Rivera (right) during the Bite the Ballot event put on by the Associated Students Inc. in the Malcolm X Plaza on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016.

Photo by Pablo Caballero

‘Bite the Ballot’ aims to register 3,000 students The smell of sizzling tacos wafted through the air, as the sound of Buffalo Springfield’s ‘60s psychedelic rock song “For What It’s Worth” serenaded a crowd of about 40 at Malcolm X Plaza at the annual “Bite the Ballot!” voter registration event, Wednesday afternoon.

The event, which continues into Thursday, brought local candidates and proposition campaigners to campus to promote student engagement for election season.

“The youth isn’t really turning out to vote or is civically engaged. We are the future, so it’s important we stay involved and it’s vital to face problematic issues such as race and the environment,” said Celia LoBuono Gonzalez, the organizer of the two-day event and vice president of external affairs at Associated Students, Inc. “It is time to get informed and get educated and this effort will help facilitate getting students informed and form a confident opinion in how they want to vote.”

The event got off to a slow start as students trickled through the plaza and past the tables.

According to the event’s Facebook page, only nine people marked themselves as attending the event, out of the 194 that were invited.

Gonzalez said their goal is to get 3,000 students registered to vote –– double the amount they registered last year. To reach this goal, ASI members hit the ground with clipboards to reach more people.

Gonzalez stressed that students need to reregister to vote if they have recently moved.

“A lot of people think it’s okay if you’ve moved, but your vote won’t count if you don’t re-register,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said the event is also a good opportunity for local candidates to hear what

students want to say and get engaged with politics and “the policy makers in the community.”

Tim Donnelly, running for District 3 Supervisor, who attended the event to promote his campaign and gauge what city-wide issues students were most concerned with, said that he was most interested in “finding out what students are concerned with in the city.”

When asked what he’ll get most out of participating in the event, Donnelly said, “I’m curious to hear issues, since I share a lot of the same concerns of people who go to school here since I grew up here.”

Dan Kappler, campaigning for Rob Geller, a candidate for the San Francisco Board of Education, said that he hasn’t seen that much student engagement.

“I’m disappointed. I haven’t seen much student engagement, but I have gotten a few glances,” Kappler said. “When I was in college we were all engaged and wanted to fight the system.”

However, when the tacos finished cooking and classes started to let out around noon, the walkways in the plaza filled up with more students and by the next half-hour, there were around 30 to 40 students making their way past the tables and chatting with the candidates.

Robert Kuhl, who just turned 18 and registered to vote, was one of the students making their way through the tables and numerous fliers of candidate and proposition literature.

“This is the first election that I get to vote in, so I want to do my civic duty,” Kuhl said.

Kuhl said he found the event was very helpful in terms of learning about the over 20 different propositions in the city election.

“I learned about stuff that I did not know about and it was really good to hear multiple sides of each proposition. For instance, after all this, I know that I’m probably going to vote ‘no’ on U,” Kuhl said.

After being handed a flier from Kappler

“

A lot of people think it’s okay if you’ve moved, but your vote won’t count if you don’t re-register.

Celia LoBuono Gonzalez

about signing up to be a poll worker on Nov. 8, Kuhl became even more enthusiastic and said, “I’m probably going to do that, it sounds like a good opportunity. I haven’t been as engaged as I was in high school, so I think it would be cool.”

To help get other students more participatory in the event and provide an incentive for visiting all of the tables, ASI board members handed out slips of paper to collect candidates and campaigners signatures.

“If students go up to them and get some information and get four signatures of the people they talked to then they’ll get free tacos. It’s a good way to encourage people,” said Nicole Hernandez, one of the ASI representatives.

However, international student, Angela Lin, wasn’t there for the tacos and was more interested in the experience of it all.

“People are so passionate here. I’m from Taiwan, and in my country they are not as

“

by Katherine Minkiewicz keminkie@mail.sfsu.edu

passionate. And I am also trying to see what all the different tables are about,” Lin said.

Richie Greenberg, running for District 1 Supervisor, was also at the event to promote his campaign and answer questions students might have. Greenberg said he was glad that he was able to meet students during the event.

“It’s great because this is the first place of contact with students and a great opportunity for students to meet with candidates face-toface and they get to ask questions instead of reading about us,” Greenberg said.

The second day of the event will focus primarily on the local propositions that are on the ballot and completing the goal of getting 3,000 students registered.

On Oct. 24, ASI will publish statistics on how many students registered to vote during the event, according to Gonzalez.

goldengatexpress.org Wednesday | October 12, 2016

LIFESTYLE & CULTURE

5

Rodent sightings not an issue, University officials say

by Michelle Nunez mnunez93@mail.sfsu.edu The Towers at Centennial Square have recently been under scrutiny due to student reports of mice sightings, which some say began prior to the start of fall semester this year.

Mice droppings and damaged property like chewed cords are among some of the rodent-related complaints that students say contribute to an uncomfortable living environment.

“Living here I noticed there was an issue with rodents,” said Jamarc Allen-Henderson, a residential assistant for the Towers at Centennial Square. “When I moved in, there were droppings everywhere, and even now I see more popping up too.

When I come back home I might see some on the kitchen floor.”

The Towers offer apartment style housing for SF State students with the option of a private kitchen, living room and bathroom at an estimated cost of $12,888 to $16,232 per academic year, which equates to roughly $1,288 to $2,091 per month.

With the additional amenities, the Towers are considered to be escalated college dorms from the average single room occupancy, but some are saying their affluence has been overshadowed by mice encounters.

“I was living (in the Towers) over the summer and I started seeing them at the beginning of July,” an environmental studies major at SF State said. “At first I just started hearing scratching at night, and then that’s when I started seeing them. I saw them in my room, in the living room, scurrying down the hallways. It wasn’t just one, it was multiple and they were different colors.” Currently a senior at SF State, the student chose to remain anonymous in fear of backlash for commenting on the mice sightings.

Frank Fasano, interim associate vice president of facilities and services, has been in his position for 11 months and does not consider the mice sightings in the Towers a rodent issue.

“Any school of this size or any facility for that matter, will occasionally have pest control issues that pop up once in awhile,” Fasano said. “Any time there is a food source, you’re going to have pests, any type of pests.”

According to Fasano, the SF State campus already receives services

I think it’s a major issue because now I’m getting paranoid to the fact that there might be one every time I sit by the counter. It has me on edge sometimes, and I don’t want to constantly invest in mouse prevention traps.

Jamaro Allen-Hendrson

“

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from A-Pro Pest Control twice a week for preventative measures and does not plan to implement any additional services since mice sightings are rare.

“If we saw that we had to have a service more than twice a week we would implement that, but there isn’t a need for it,” Fasano said.

A-Pro Pest Control was contacted, but declined to comment on the current preventative program in place.

Though Fasano believes additional services are not needed, students are unsatisfied with current solutions. First-year student, Danielle Suit, requested assistance from facilities in hopes of putting an end to mice encounters inside of her dorm.

“All they did was tell us to call the service desk, and they just gave us sticky mouse traps,” Suit said.

Suit and her roommates aligned the provided sticky mouse traps alongside their living room walls, but remain fearful of future encounters.

“I’m terrified of mice, so I’m scared to death coming out here,” Suit said. “I’m just lying to myself and saying they’re not here.”

Allen-Henderson is also anxious of future encounters.

“I think it’s a major issue because now I’m getting paranoid to the fact that there might be one every time I sit by the counter. It has me on edge sometimes, and I don’t want to constantly invest in mouse prevention traps,” Allen-Henderson said. “It’s also a health issue because if there’s droppings everywhere, some people say it can be toxic.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diseases can be spread through breathing in air contaminated with rodent urine and droppings. However, Fasano believes there are simple things students can do to prevent the sick and harmful possibilities that can follow mice encounters.

“We try to mitigate most of this through education,” Fasano said.

“Just like in your house, you don’t want to leave open containers of food and sugars because you’re eventually going to attract some sort of pest. We don’t see the need to implement any further actions, but if we ever did, we would take measures to do what we needed to do.”

A homemade mice trap is set up under a table next to other mice traps in a student dorm in the Towers at Centennial Square on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016. | Photo by Michelle Nunez

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LIFESTYLE & CULTURE Fiesta draws crowd, dancing 6

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the fact that music is a way to direct human activity,” said Manolo Dávila, guitarist and vocalist for Soltrón.

Asian American studies major and president of ASI Shannon Deloso, was present at the event because she was friends with the member from Soltrón who is a student at SF State.

“With music it doesn’t matter who it is, it’s a connection with your body.

This is not something I usually listen to, but I like the live atmosphere,” Deloso said.

Our music has a commitment to social justice, and we acknowledge the fact that music is a way to direct human activity.

Manolo Dávila

Students and staff gather to watch Soltrón play their set during a Fall Fiesta held in Jack Adams Hall at SF State on Thursday Sept. 7, 2016. The fiesta featured Soltrón, a band from San Francisco’s Mission District and Bang Data, a band from the Bay Area. | Photo by Aleah Fajardo

COME WORK WITH US OPEN HOUSE October 17th | 4pm-6:30pm 505 Sansome Street Hiring Managers will be conducting open interviews Positions Available Baristas Cooks Shift Supervisors Store Managers Benefits Competitive pay and benefits Learn coffee art preparation in a creative working environment Opportunities for advancements to shift supervisor, store managers and more as we grow Complimentary meals, coffee and beverages during work shift Discounts on in-store merchandise Interested? If you are unable to attend the open house, please send your resume to comeworkwithus@illy.com

goldengatexpress.org

“I may not know what they’re saying, but I can feel it,” said Spulu Pacific, a recent alumni and dance major of SF State. “It’s educational because it’s music about resistance and pushing forward.”

Pacific danced vivaciously all night, at one point taking center stage with an accompanying dance partner as everyone watched and cheered them on. Pacific also said that he likes

the space at Jacobs Hall and that the lack of people on the floor gave him more space to dance.

The percussionist for Soltrón, Ahkeel Mestayer, is a student at SF State and the band’s connection to the University has brought them on campus on a previous occasion. During the Ethnic Studies strike last spring, Soltrón performed in support of the strike in the quad.

“Our music has a commitment to social justice, and we acknowledge

“

Fiesta cont. pg. 1

goldengatexpress.org Wednesday | October 12, 2016

LIFESTYLE & CULTURE

goldengatexpress.org Wednesday | October 12, 2016

9

New restrictions limit birth control options After four years of using the same birth control provided through Student Health Services, at no cost to her, Carolyn Polansky was shocked and confused when she was denied her birth control pills at the start of the fall semester. She is one of many students who have started a new semester unable to refill their prescription.

“I had no idea my birth control wasn’t covered anymore, nobody ever told me,” said Polansky, a hospitality and tourism major. “I’m on Vestura because I’m anemic and have anxiety and it’s one of the only brands that doesn’t make those things worse and actually helps. There are more reasons for birth control besides having sex.”

SHS no longer provides seven of the 24 brands of birth control pills for free under Family Pact. Students must either switch their birth control brand, use an outside insurance provider accepted at the SHS pharmacy to cover the cost or pay out of pocket, which can cost upward of $75 per month.

“

In order to switch birth controls, students must make an appointment to see a doctor and go through their sexual and medical history which can be time consuming for students who planned on picking up a refill, which takes about 10 minutes.

“In the past, Family Pact used to cover almost everything,” said SHS pharmacist Lien Ho, RPH. “As of June they changed their formula to be consistent with the MediCal formula which is much stricter. There’s no way around it.”

According to Family Pact’s website, their purpose is “to provide comprehensive family planning services to eligible low income (under 200% federal poverty level) men and women.” This applies to many college students who either do not have jobs, or work part time and don’t make much money while in school.

SF State’s Family Pact representative declined to comment on the change in birth control coverage.

Brands no longer covered

by Family Pact include: Zarah, Monessa, Vestura, Trinessa Lo, Lomedia, Estrostep Fe and Amethia.

While some of these brands have

I had no idea my birth control wasn’t covered anymore, nobody ever told me.

Carolyn Polansky

“

by Amanda Aragona aaragona@mail.sfsu.edu

alternatives offered through SHS and covered by Family Pact, many are not covered nor offered at SHS, and prescriptions would have to be filled at a different pharmacy.

“Whether the exact brand of birth control used matters is a very complicated question with no for sure answer,” said Carrie Holschuh, PhD., a nursing professor at SF State who specializes in reproductive health.

According to Planned Parenthood, using condoms as the only form of birth control is only 82% effective, while using the pill or an IUD is 99.9% effective for preventing pregnancy.

“I was told (by SHS) I could just use condoms or go to Planned Parenthood if I couldn’t pay for my birth control,” Polansky said. “I’m either going to go there or switch to an IUD, which I’ve never wanted to do but they are basically forcing me by making this so complicated.”

Benefits of birth control beyond contraception include treatment of painful periods, PMS, acne, hair loss, anemia, ovarian cancer, migraines, hormone regulation and more, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

While SHS accepts over 90 insurance plans, many big box providers like Blue Shield, Cignan, and Kaiser are no longer accepted, according to a list posted at the SHS pharmacy. For students like Polansky who depends on birth control to help with anxiety and anemia, limited access poses a very real threat to their health, beyond just birth control.

The Golden Gate Xpress conducted a survey of 212 students and asked them if they obtained their form of birth control from the Student Healther Cente. From the 212 surveyed, 78 percent did not recieve their birth control on campus. | Infographic by Amanda Aragona

New UCSF-based bioengineering center opens its doors to SF State SF State is partnering with Blue Sky, a bioengineering center based at University of California San Francisco, and has selected seven graduate students and seven faculty members to participate in the center’s research projects.

The National Science Foundation has recently released funding for both the bioengineering center and its researchers, which will include seven SF State faculty members and seven degree graduate students. This will grant the University’s biology department access to extremely high-end equipment and resources that will allow for visualization and construction of cells.

Wallace Marshall, a biochemistry and biophysics professor at UCSF, believed SF State would be a great candidate because of its diverse student population who aren’t typically represented in the sciences.

“The idea behind it is that they would get a significant number of resources from UCSF to build several areas in biology and engineering,” said Dr. Carmen Domingo, a biology professor and one of the faculty members who will be conducting research for the center.

Biology professors Laura Burrus, Diana Chu, Wilfred Denetclaw, Blake Riggs, Mark Chan and chemistry and biochemistry professor Ray Esquerra will also be receiving funding and participating in the center’s projects.

Dr. Marshall, Dr. Wendell Lim and Dr. Zev Gartner started the conversation about putting the center together in 2014. Dr. Mark Chan, who is currently a cell and molecular biology assistant professor at SF State, spent six years in Marshall’s lab at UCSF before leaving two

years ago. He worked with Marshall to establish this partnership.

“They were excited that I was potentially joining SF State because that would be a really natural way to build up a partnership between UCSF and SF State,” Chan said.

The faculty members will have the opportunity to work at a higher level of training in cell biology than they normally would due to the lack of resources. Domingo believes that the new experiences she and her colleagues will gain from working with the center will impact their lab activities at SF State. It will give undergraduate biology students the chance to work with a more innovative faculty.

“UCSF has amazing grad programs,” Domingo said. “So if undergrads work on their projects, they could get to meet faculty at UCSF. The doors open for networking. They could get letters of recommendation and access to their grad programs. So it will certainly have a broad impact.”

Domingo also believes the program would draw more graduate students to apply to SF State.

In addition to funding seven faculty members, NSF is also funding seven graduate students to conduct research projects for the center.

“The students were selected ahead of time but we couldn’t make a commitment to them until the budget was released, so the applicants were on standby until we got the grant,” said Dr. Frank Bayliss, student enrichment opportunities program director.

The fellowship was available for graduate students to sign up for when they applied for admission at SF State. However, the students chosen for the program didn’t get an official award notification until last week on Sept. 26. The selection criteria for the grant included strong letters of recommendation and

“

We’re committed to getting really strong students who love to do research. Passion is more important than anything.

Dr. Frank Bayliss

exceptional experience.

“We look at it holistically. We don’t just look at GPA,” Bayliss said. “We’re committed to getting really strong students who love to do research. Passion is more important than anything.”

Edward Elizarraras, a first-year cell and molecular biology masters student, is one of the seven graduate students who will be receiving the grant and participating in the center’s research projects. He believes he was selected due to his interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and his being part of an underrepresented group.

“I’m excited about being able to work with UCSF. It would allow me to meet great scientists with similar research interests,” Elizarraras said. “This opportunity would also help me

“

by Lea Fabro lfabro@mail.sfsu.edu

build my professional network and develop my leadership skills. I believe doors may open for me and the possibilities are endless.”

Maria Del Pilar Lopez, who will also be participating in the center’s projects, is excited about working with UCSF. She believes her research experience is the reason she was chosen.

“I am hoping to learn new things and bring that knowledge back to our lab at SFSU,” Pilar said.

UCSF is still currently organizing meetings with all the researchers in order to discuss projects and understand how each participant can best contribute. Domingo expects it will take a few months before they could start working on their projects.

OPINION

10

goldengatexpress.org Wednesday | October 12, 2016

Legalize black beauty

by Seki Shiwoku sshiwoku@mail.sfsu.edu

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Nappy, kinky, not white. As a Black woman, my hair is judged and scrutinized because it does not fit the whitewashed mold of beauty in America.

I have worn my hair in braids because it’s convenient, protects my hair’s health and is an alternative to aggressively straightening my already thinning hair. But I am mostly seen wearing my hair laid straight with obedience in a weave, because I have been conditioned to think my hair’s natural texture is unattractive. It’s the stares, questions and comments that stem from a mix of ignorance and curiosity that have led me to avoid wearing my hair natural.

While microaggressions like unwanted hair touching and compliments that are borderline racist leave me feeling categorized, it’s not nearly as appalling as the blatant racial discrimination that took place in a recent court ruling in Alabama.

In September, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, ruling that it is now perfectly legal to ban dreadlocks in the workplace and to fire employees because of their dreadlocks. But what they fail to understand is that hairstyle plays no part in determining work ethics and capability.

In 2010, Chastity Jones applied for a position at Catastrophe Management Solutions, and was hired under one condition. Jones would have to cut off her dreadlocks because, according to Jeannie Wilson, the human resources manager at CMS, locs tend to get “messy” and did not comply with the company’s grooming policies.

Jones refused to cut her dreadlocks and the company terminated her job offer.

The EEOC filed a lawsuit against

Illustration by Jessylyn Los Banos CMS, claiming their policy was racially discriminatory because “dreadlocks are culturally associated with people of African descent.”

Natural hair styles have been stigmatized and deemed as “unprofessional” or “distracting,” but it never occurred to me that our judicial system could go as far as to rule a ban on dreadlocks in the workplace. The 3-0 decision is yet another form of discrimination against Black people in America.

Time after time White America forces us to shun our culture and conform to their approved brand of beauty.

In 2014, the Army updated AR 670-1, also known as their grooming policy, banning hairstyles like cornrows, braids, twists and dreadlocks, claiming they are “faddish” and “exaggerated.”

This essentially prohibited about 26,000 Black women from wearing their hair naturally.

The Army’s new policy failed to take into consideration that most

women in the military don’t have the luxury nor the time to go to a salon and chemically process their hair every 4 to 6 weeks. The policy also failed to realize that Black people have different hair textures and therefore we can not all style our hair the same way White women would.

While buns are accepted, many Black women need to put their hair in twists or braids before being able to achieve that hairstyle.

Similar cases have occurred with companies such as Six Flags, Air France and FedEx. Federal law bans racial discrimination in the workplace, but rulings like these frame the natural physical characteristics of Black people as unacceptable.

Over the 150 years since slavery, most Black women have internalized that straight hair —which is achieved by applying ludicrous amounts of heat to your hair or with chemical processes — is the appropriate look, and that our natural kinky hair that

grows up and out is unacceptable and unattractive.

It wasn’t until the emergence of the Black Power movement that natural hair and the afro became a celebrated style among Black women in America. The phrase “Black is beautiful” was coined to encourage Black women to grow their hair in Afros to stand in solidarity against society’s White beauty standards.

Despite past efforts to empower Black women, Whiteness is still the standard of beauty in America and continues to place a strain on Black hair.

Why is White America’s response to Blackness to suppress the beauty in being Black and socialize us to not be proud of embracing our cultural identity? Should we be conforming to fit corporate standards or should we be taking steps toward enacting change?

We are being discriminated against because of how our hair grows from its roots and we have as much control over how our natural hair looks as we have choosing who our parents are.

The way a Black woman decides to wear her hair does not impact her ability to do her job. Corporate America does not have the right to enforce a grooming policy that marginalizes Black women in America for the strands that grow on our heads. It is insulting to our intelligence to see us as nothing more than the texture of our hair.

As Black people who live in a country where everyone is socialized to comply to White beauty standards, we are forced to make conscious choices everyday about the way we choose to presents ourselves for fear of how it might be misconstrued. As Black people in America we are constantly leading double lives for fear that we might be “too Black” to be accepted.

The legal precedent set by the most recent legislation against Black hairstyles reminds America once again that Black beauty is illegal.

Kid Cudi’s post about depression reveals society’s failure to treat mental illness

by Jordan Vail jmv@mail.sfsu.edu Trigger warning: this story contains potentially distressing material and language about depression, suicidal thinking and trauma.

Last week, rapper Kid Cudi posted a candid, heartfelt note on Facebook revealing his struggles with depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation and announcing that he was checking himself into rehab to deal with these issues. While Cudi’s decision to speak publicly about his mental health was brave and inspiring, the pervasive shame that permeated his whole post was heart-wrenching and all too familiar for those with mental illnesses.

His apologies to his fans for “letting them down,” his statement about feeling “so ashamed,” and his description of himself as a “damaged human” resonated powerfully with me. They are thoughts I’ve had and continued to have throughout my lifelong struggle with mental illness.

Depression is a powerful illness. It can cause you to think of yourself in unthinkably cruel ways; ways that you might never think about anyone else. Your view of yourself becomes warped to the point that you think of yourself as being uniquely horrible, undeserving of help and incapable of any good. So a lot of the shame in Cudi’s piece can be attributed to depression, and the feelings of absolute wretchedness and guilt that come with it.

However, it is undeniable that the shame Cudi feels is connected to society’s view of mental illness as a whole, and how we have failed to provide a safe and welcoming environment for those with mental illnesses.

While there has been an outpouring of support

and well wishes from fans and artists alike, there also has been a considerable amount of scoffing from those who think mental illness can no longer manifest in a person once they have enough riches or fame. Like Cudi, actress Cara Delevingne opened up about her depression earlier this year and was met with both sympathy and mockery. A lot of the brush-offs could be summed up as: “She’s rich, beautiful and successful. What does she have to feel bad about?”

This line of thinking reveals society’s misunderstanding of the nature of mental illness.

Mental illness is not something that can be immunized by good looks or money. Indeed, money can certainly help, as a single one-hour session of talk therapy can run anywhere from $80 to $300, depending on your location. In fact, according to a 2011 Mental Health Financing in the United States primer, 45 percent of Americans cite cost as a barrier to mental health care. But just having the money for treatment isn’t a treatment in itself, and believing so only establishes the idea that certain people can’t — or shouldn’t — have depression or anxiety, leading to the shame Cudi expressed and the silence he suffered through years prior.

Those who roll their eyes at the troubles of celebrities may feel more charitable toward their fellow man, there are many others who frame mental illness as a weakness and demand that those who have one to just “get over it.” According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ website, the idea that a person can just “snap out” of their mental illness if they just try hard enough is one of the most common myths concerning mental health. Rather, it can come about from a variety of factors, including brain chemistry, trauma or abuse

and family history.

And while trauma has become devastatingly common for Black people, a culture of silence continues to exist in Black communities. According to the Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, Black people are 20 percent more likely to experience serious mental health problems — including depression — than White people. However, an American Psychological Association study shows that Black young adults are less likely to seek mental health services than White young adults.

Stigma, lack of access to adequate healthcare and unpleasant or alienating experiences with doctors can make it difficult for Black men and women to seek help, or prevent them from doing so at all. The hashtag #YouGoodMan, which emerged after Cudi’s post as a way for Black men to share their own struggles with mental illness, only highlights how long countless Black men have suffered in silence.

While I called Cudi brave for sharing his struggle with mental illness, I need to question why this is an appropriate word choice. If Cudi were instead to announce that he had cancer and would be undergoing chemotherapy treatments, while the level of support from fans and fellow artists would be the same, I doubt it would garner the same amount of news or start a hashtag. He might be called brave, but it wouldn’t have the same context, or carry the same weight. If Cudi were to battle cancer, it would be the treatment that he’d be brave to endure it. For his depression, however, the bravery comes from admitting that it exists in the first place. In a country where depression is one of the most common mental illnesses, affecting almost 7 percent of adults, his decision shouldn’t be considered brave –– it should be considered normal.

SPORTS

goldengatexpress.org Wednesday | October 12, 2016

11

Baseball dreams, turned cross-country success Growing up in the small Southern California city of Placentia, Benji Preciado started playing baseball at the age of seven. His love for the sport grew through his high school years at Valencia High School as he continued playing with hopes of extending his career to the collegiate level.

Preciado’s athletic dreams took an unexpected turn his freshman year of high school when his older brother convinced him to join the crosscountry team. What originally began as a way of conditioning for baseball during off season revealed itself to be an untapped talent.

Preciado ran throughout high school and despite childhood dreams of becoming the next Adrian Beltre, he could not deny his talent and future in running as he received recruitment offers from several colleges during his senior year.

Although he visited the campuses of California State University, Fullerton and California State University, Chico, Preciado had his sights set on SF State, despite the fact that the school had not actively reached out to him.

“I came and I loved the campus, I loved the atmosphere here, I loved the city,” Preciado said. “I just fell in love with all of it.”

He wasn’t initially recruited by SF State, but he decided to apply for the men’s cross country team on the SF State Gators athletics website.

Preciado said that within an hour of filling out the application, he received a phone call from the SF State athletic department. They were interested in Preciado and wanted to see him run.

SF State men’s cross-country coach Tom Lyons watched Preciado run for the first time at the Southern Section Cross Country Prelims in Walnut, Calif. in 2011.

“Just watching him figure out how to emerge out of the pack and watching him run you could tell he was going to be a good runner down the line,” Lyons said.

The decision was certain for Lyons and SF State, but Preciado remained

“

unsure. He had lived in Southern California with his family his whole life and was wary of the change.

The youngest of three children, Preciado said he looked up to his older brother and sister as parental figures and went to them for advice.

“My brother told me ‘if you want to leave, just go, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,’” Preciado said. “So I decided to come, get away from home, be on my own and have an adventure.”

Preciado was redshirted his freshman year, so he only ran two races his first year on the team, a factor he said allowed him to acclimate to the change of scenery.

“I wanted to explore before the next year when I was going to be put in uniform,” Preciado said. “I knew I had to buckle down and do business.”

Preciado made the most of the races he did run during his redshirt season, maintaining a place at the head of the pack and narrowly missing out on a nationals qualification by a couple seconds at the NCAA Regionals.

“Somebody stepped on his shoe at the beginning of the race, he ran the race with his shoe half off and he almost made it to nationals like that,” Lyons said in amazement.

Preciado said after his first season he analyzed his strengths and weaknesses in order to train for the next season.

“I knew what I had to do to put myself with the top runners in the region,” Preciado said.

Preciado has done just that, continuously breaking his record times throughout the years, most recently running his personal best in the 10K this season with a time of 32:21.50., Preciado also ran his career best in the 8K at the end of his 2015 season, with a time of 24:35 during the CCAA Championships, coming scathingly close yet again to nationals at the NCAA Division II West Regionals.

Preciado’s consistency and persistence to run harder and faster each season has lead to him recently being named California Collegiate Athletic Association Runner of the Week, Sept. 19 to 25.

“Whether it’s track or crosscountry, there is no question that he

So I decided to come, get away from home, be on my own and have an adventure.

Benji Preciado

“

by Laura Monique Ordoñez lordonez@mail.sfsu.edu

is one of the best distance runners in the history of the school,” Lyons said.

Aside from his tiring training schedule, Preciado is working to earn his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, a rigorous major requiring a heavy workload and technically advanced courses.

Preciado said this last semester is mellow, but in previous semesters he would take up to 16 units while balancing running and maintaining a social life.

“Oh man, it was difficult,” Preciado said. “I would run, go to class, try to study as much as possible and then repeat.”

Preciado said for him, the key to keeping it all together through the stress and pressure was making sure he got at least eight hours of sleep every night.

“I wouldn’t study past 11 because I knew if I did I wouldn’t grasp what I was trying to learn,” Preciado said.

“So I would just call it a night go to sleep and do it all again the next day.”

Preciado’s diligence in keeping his body healthy and rested helped him stay strong not only physically, but academically. Preciado made honor roll and dean’s list both fall 2014 and spring 2015, as well as Athletic Director’s Honor Roll spring 2016.

The ability to know what’s best for his health, mind and body is one of the characteristics fellow teammate and friend Kenny Trejo admires most in Preciado.

“A lot of times after we would have a hard workout, the next day a lot of the guys would want to keep going and pushing a little bit harder,” Trejo said. “But Benji kind of had this motto that he wanted to listen to his body and care about it in the long run.”

Lyons said Preciado has learned what works for him and has become an efficient runner as well as a smart trainer.

“Some runners will put 100 miles in for the week and I know that if I put in 100 miles that will harm my body and break me down,” Preciado said of his conservative training style.

Though Preciado has dedicated the past nine years of his life to running, he said his future in running is uncertain.

“I’m in a pickle right now,” Preciado said. “It’s between letting my body rest or just keep on going.”

Preciado said he wants to focus more on his future career goals, which include applying to chiropractic school in Southern California next month. If accepted, he will start in the spring of 2017 and with long hours and heavy workload required, he will have little to no time to continue running.

Either way, Preciado will head back home to Placentia after graduating in December, a decision he said his parents are quite happy about.

Preciado prides himself on being

SF State Gator’s freshman Benji Preciado runs during the 30th Annual SF State Invite at Golden Gate Park’s Speedway Meadow on Friday. Preciado originally wanted to play baseball but found his talent in cross country running. | Photo

by Perng-chih Huang a family man and a self-proclaimed “mama’s boy”. He said his family means everything to him and they are very close.

“They’ve been very supportive of me,” Preciado said. “From me making the decision to leave to cross-country, our dynamic I think is one of the best.”

Throughout his five years on the cross-country team, Preciado’s teammates have become an extension of his family. He said he cherishes the memories that have been made and the comradery that has been built within his small group of teammates.

“I’ll definitely remember five years from now, this specific team of great guys,” Preciado said.

Trejo said some of his favorite memories of Preciado involve his motivation through his naturally competitive nature.

“I remember last season we were closing in on the last 200 meters and Benji tapped me on the waist and told me that if I don’t beat him during

regionals I wouldn’t hear the last of it from him,” Trejo said as he laughed at the memory. “He wanted me to do my best and that kind of confidence is something I’ve always counted on Benji for.”

Trejo said he is certain that Preciado will excel in whatever he decides to do.

“Benji is one of the hardest workers in terms of going after his internships or going after his career,” Trejo said. “He’s always been very driven and very self-confident in his hard work and ethics and he is not someone who is going to settle, he’s going to keep going for more.”

Until then, Preciado said in the back of his mind his goal is to make it to NCAA Division II nationals, but more importantly, he wants to enjoy his last semester as an SF Gator.

“I just want to enjoy my time here, enjoy my last semester, enjoy my last season, and have nothing but good memories,” Preciado said.

Women’s soccer break three game losing streak

by Terence Scott tscott2@mail.sfsu.edu Gators women’s soccer team snapped their three game losing streak with a 1-0 shutout victory over California State University, San Marcos.

The team came into this game searching for their first win since Sept. 18 after a five game losing streak, and improved their record to 6-4-3 on the season and 3-3-2 in conference play. Head Coach Tracy Hamm was pleased with how the players bounced back after a few tough losses.

“We executed exactly like we wanted to today,” Hamm said.

“We generated a lot of chances out there. I wish we could have capitalize on them a little more but I was happy with what we created.”

It was a physical first half with bodies flying everywhere and both teams playing each other virtually even throughout the half.

SF State attempted seven shots to Cal State San Marcos’ ten. The game went into the half scoreless, and according to the players, Hamm rallied everyone during the intermission.

“Coach just reminded us to play our game,” senior forward Autumn Fox said. “She reassured us that we know we were the better team, speed and technical wise.”

“I told them finish what they started,” Hamm said.

The Gators looked like a different team coming out the second half, outshooting the Cougars eight to four. At the 76th minute, SF State’s senior defender Jada Williams scored her second goal of the season after she connected on a cross from senior forward Autumn Fox, a goal that proved to be the deciding factor. Fox now has a team high of six assists on the season.

“I was sprinting as fast a I could to get there,” Williams said.

“I just put my foot out and was hoping for the best. Sometimes that’s all you need.”

SF State now has 11 points on the season which places them in 7th place in California Collegiate Athletic Association Standings. Only the top six teams at the end of the regular season receive a bid to the CCAA Soccer Championships in November.

The Gators are one point back of Cal State Dominguez Hills, who are in 6th place.

“Moving forward we need to take it game by game,” Hamm said. “We put our backs against the wall a little bit but it’s still a long stretch ahead.”

SF State’s next game will be on the road against Humboldt State on Oct. 14.

“It’s a good feeling to get a win before we get on the road,” Williams said. “ We needed this win. We are confident now we just need to have a good week and keep winning.”