Fall 2019 Issue 10

SF State’s student-run publication since 1927

Volume 110, Issue 10

Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019

Kincade Fire worsens, some refuse to leave

Firefighters from Palo Alto Engine Co. 65 fight to save a farm on Chalk Hill Road, near Windsor Calif. Oct. 27. (Photo by William Wendelman / Golden Gate Xpress)

BY WILSON GOMEZ STAFF REPORTER

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s wind speeds in Northern California intensified Sunday, firefighters across the state made an effort to save the city of Windsor, only 13 miles south from the origin of the Kincade fire.

PG&E found a transmission tower malfunctioning seven minutes before fire broke out Wednesday evening in area near the tower, according to a filing with the California Public Utilities Commission. PG&E reported it’s investigating the origin of the fire.

The Kincade fire spread to 74,324 acres in four days and is 15% contained, according to a Monday night update from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The mandatory evacuation zone stretches down as far west as the coastline and as far south as Two Rock.

The town of Windsor was draped in smoke from the fire only a few miles away. Despite police closing off roads, several residents drove into the nearly empty city to check on their homes. Although officials urged residents to evacuate the Windsor Saturday, some chose to remain.

“I’m just waiting to see the flames,” said Javier Licea, a Windsor resident riding his bicycle in the smoke. “I can’t just leave my house, I have a lot of stuff in there … All my three cars are ready to go as soon as I see the flames get closer.”

The Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, used as an evacuation center, as of publication, is right on the edge of the expanded mandatory evacuation zone.

“It’s a wind-driven fire, not a temperature driven fire,” Lisa Hardy, an 11-year firefighter from Kenwood’s Station 31 said.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Gators weigh in on election propositions

BY LANCE TISUELA STAFF REPORTER

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ore young people are voting now than 4 years ago, mainly due to year-round voting initiatives on college campuses. The National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement, conducted by the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education at Tufts University, reported

a 21% increase in voter turnout from college students between 2014 and 2018.

At SF State, Associated Students worked toward increasing that number by helping students register to vote in early September. Right now they are focusing on educating students on what is

Campus restaurant gives students food service skills

on the ballot next month.

“There will be several emails going out, as well as a dedicated tab on our website,” said Alondra Esquivel Garcia, Vice President of External Affairs for AS. The emails and website will give students more information on all items on the ballot. AS

also conducted a 2-hour voter registration session, where approximately 80 students registered to vote. They plan to provide commuting students election information from their respective counties, in future elections.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Hundreds gather at San Francisco City Hall to support Andrew Yang

Wounded SF State alumnus returns home

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fter recovering from gunshot wounds in the Philippines for two months, an SF State alumnus was airlifted to San Francisco Saturday amid fears that his life was in danger.

SF State alumnus Brandon Lee was shot four times Aug. 6 in the Philippines as he worked as an environmental activist and journalist. His family and the Filipino community, who suspect he was targeted by the Philippine government, have since fundraised and advocated for his return.

Lee’s family recently secured a loan from the U.S. Department of State and airlift him home.

The full story will be published in the next issue of the Golden Gate Xpress.

Latinx sorority, Alpha Pi Sigma Sorority Inc., celebrates night of culture

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2•CAMPUS

TUESDAY, OCT. 29, 2019 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

Students gain culinary & resturant experience

BY FELICIA HYDE STAFF REPORTER

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oft jazz faintly hit diners’ ears as the restaurant staff gently placed cutlery on napkins around the Vista Room on SF State’s campus on early Monday afternoon. Conversations between the head chef and cooks accompanied the sound of sizzling vegetables and server’s quick footsteps between the front and back of the room.

The Vista Room is a fully functional restaurant on the fourth floor of Burk Hall with weekly changes in the menu. It is a teaching and learning laboratory where students gain hands-on experience in food service alongside culinary and restaurant management skills. Students majoring in Hospitality, Tourism Management take on multiple roles, whether they are placed in the front or the back of the house, hosting, serving customers, preparing the food or washing the dishes.

“The space allows students to make mistakes and learn from them. A lot of our students have never dealt with customers in a real hospitality setting,” said Ryan Smith, assistant professor of Hospitality, Tourism and Management Department. Smith is also the manager of the Vista Room, where he lectures. “This allows the students to get comfortable in a foreign environment in front of people that they do not

Students Pris Emestica, Daphne Workman, and intern Soo Yun Kim dress a salad for a lunch order at the Vista Room on the fourth floor of Burk Hall Oct.21. (Photo by William Wendelman / Golden Gate Xpress)

know. This is a feeling that [students] can take and go anywhere in the future.”

Having already been through culinary school at Santa Barbara City College, SF State senior Andrew Gaytan is able to focus

on the simple and foundational skills of cooking and help other students who have never prepared food before in a restaurant kitchen environment.

Students majoring in Hospitality and Tourism Management are

required to take a core course in restaurant operations, which is an elective for minors. The course, HTM 457: Restaurant Operations, includes aspects of kitchen organization, service styles, and inventory management, according to the Hospitality and Tourism Management course bulletin.

“The lab rotates between people being in the front and back, the menu changes and we get a chance to learn different styles of food and cooking,” Gaytan said.

“For many students this is their first time cooking and not many college students know how to cook on their own, so it’s a good way for students to learn these skills.”

The Vista Room is a simulated restaurant where students are able to serve and interact with faculty, administrators, fellow students and community members. According to Smith, the class combines theory and practice, something few other majors experience (besides an internship

course) before graduating with their degree.

“I get a better perspective on the restaurant experience, being someone that’s usually on the side of eating, it gives me more of an appreciation for those working in food and management services,” said Norissa Stewart, third year server in the Vista Room.

Students split the semester in shifts between preparing food, cooking, washing dishes, taking and serving customers orders and hosting. They become part of a fast paced work, customer and food service environment and use that experience for future jobs.

“I have never worked in a restaurant before so for me this was my first experience,” said Zachary Mick, a third year at SF State serving in the Vista Room.”I started two weeks in the kitchen, learning how to prep the food then combining them into one and then for four weeks, I’m in the front of the house.”

Giana Vega serves food to customers during lunch time at the Vista Room on the fourth floor of Burk Hall Oct. 21. (Photo by William Wendelman / Golden Gate Xpress)

Learn more about measures that affect students and where to vote on campus CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Many students are likely to be interested in Proposition C, which would overturn the current ban on the sale of vapor products in San Francisco. Juul Labs, a popular brand in vaping based in San Francisco, contributed $18.6 million into the Proposition C campaign.

Hood Johan, a mechanical engineering major at SF State, was a cigarette smoker who transitioned to vaping in 2016.

“It’s kind of strange coming from a different county, commuting to this school and not being able to vape or get the products I would need,” Johan said. “I do feel some type of way about Juul. I’m more concerned about the smaller businesses.”

Jason Bell lives in Contra Costa County and can not participate in the Nov. 5 election. Bell is the director of program development for Project Rebound, an AS organization that helps formerly incarcerated people transition into California State Universities. Bell emphasized the importance of the race for District Attorney. The District Attorney can have an impact on issues

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like San Francisco’s status as a sanctuary city, Bell said.

“I think more people should pay attention to it, because of the impact that a DA has in a city, especially one like San Francisco,” Bell said. “If students find themselves in trouble, a DA that is willing to actually use education as an alternative to incarceration would also affect student life.”

“If students find themselves in trouble, a DA that is willing to actually use education as an alternative to incarceration would also affect student life.”

- JASON BELL, Director of program development for Project Rebound

George Gascon, the former district attorney, created the vacancy by resigning in early October. The race met controversy when Mayor London Breed appointed Suzy Loftus as the interim District Attorney on Oct. 10 just 17 days before the Nov. 5 election. Loftus was endorsed by Breed previous to the appointment.

“A lot of cities are not doing what San Francisco is doing, but there’s also a lot of pressure to change. Whether the DA will buck to those pressures, I don’t know,” Bell said.

Proposition D will also affect students.

If passed it will create new business taxes on commercial ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft. The tax will impose a 1.25% tax on shared rides and 3.25% tax on private rides that begin in San Francisco.

The proposition is billed as a Traffic Congestion Mitigation Tax and aims to lower the amount of cars on the road. The tax is expected to generate an estimated $30-35 million annually. The revenue will be used to improve public transportation and bicycle and pedestrian safety.

“I think it would be a good thing,” said

Alex Guibert, 25, Cinema Major at SF State. “I know having so many cars on the road is not the best thing for the environment.”

Guibert has been driving for Uber for over a year. He chose to drive for Uber because of the flexibility it offers him as a full time student, but he does not believe the proposition have great impact on traffic reduction.

The university voting center will be located in the Towers Conference Center on 758 State Dr., beginning Nov. 2 until Nov. 5. Ballots and other voting materials are available in English, Chinese, Spanish and Tagalog.

10/28/19 10:08 PM

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG | TUESDAY, OCT. 29, 2019

Self defense class packs a punch, two free classes for students remain by the Association of American

BY WILSON GOMEZ STAFF REPORTER

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n a recent hot afternoon, SF State student Claire Viadnes, was approached by a man who asked how long it would take for the bus to arrive. While Viadnes reached into her pocket to take out her phone, a second man approached her from the opposite direction and snatched her phone.

Viadnes managed to catch one of the men before he could board the M train to escape.“I was holding him by his arm and screaming at people, ‘Somebody help me!’”

Viadnes said. “I was staring at people … waiting for the train in front of us and I was begging, literally begging them for help.

Some people just turned around and walked away and some just started recording me. It was messed up.”

Finally, three people came to her aid and the thieves were caught. But Viadnes suffered an eye injury as a result. and was told by her Her doctor then told her about a free self-defense class taught on campus.

Stephanie Cyr, a professor in the kinesiology department, martial artist and lawyer has been teaching the free class for three years. The class was originally taught from a martial arts perspective, but when Cyr took over she changed it to a self-defense perspective, “Because of what’s going on on campuses across the country and the world in general.”

According to a 2019 study done

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Universities, which is made up of 33 research universities from across the country including Harvard and UC Berkeley, 26.4 percent of undergraduate female students report “nonconsensual sexual contact involving physical force or inability to consent.”

Cyr’s class begins with typical warm-up exercises like running, push-ups and stretching before moving on to the meat of the course, which involves learning how to use their voice, to tell a potential attacker to “back off,” and their hands, placed in front of them as both a way to look non-threatening while also being in a position to attack should the need arise. However, the class isn’t just teaching students how to punch and kick.

“First and foremost before you teach them an actual physical move,” Cyr said.

“You never want to physical confrontation. That’s a last resort.”

First, Cyr tells her students, they should try to talk their way out of a potentially dangerous situation by talking to the potential attacker and telling them to back off or that someone is coming to meet you. Only if you feel like you are in immediate danger, should you fight.

Intercut between lessons and practice, Cyr talks to the students about real life situations in which people managed to get away from attackers and use them as a launching off point for teaching a new technique. “There isn’t one

3•CAMPUS

Harrison Kehr (left) and instructor Stephanie Cyr (right) show the class proper self-defense technique in the Mashouf Wellness Center Oct. 24. (Photo by Paige Acosta / Golden Gate Xpress)

move that works for everyone,” Cyr told her class.

The class itself is fairly informal as some students arrive late and some leave early. While Cyr has a plan for what she wants to teach her students, she makes the class flexible enough that she can alter the class seemingly on the fly as students let her know what they want to learn.

The students’ feedback are paramount to Cyr, as she takes every possible precaution to ensure that the students know that they are in a safe space and that if they are not comfortable with something, that they should let her know right away. While the majority of the students in her class are female, everyone is encouraged to join as Cyr told her students, “Everyone gets targeted.”

Some students, like Viadnes, come to the class because of a past experience, while others come to learn how to react in case something similar happens to them.

“It was great,” Viadnes

said.“People need to know this; people need to learn how to defend themselves. It’s really necessary.”

In addition to Cyr’s classes, campus police also offers a one week Rape Aggression Defense class for both men and women, though the date for the next classes are still “TBD” according to the school website.

“After taking the class, I really like it so I’m thinking about coming back and taking another session,” said Hannah Bustamante, also an SF State student and friend of Viadnes. Bustamante wished that the class was more widely advertised, as she only heard about the class because Viadnes knew about it.

Classes are open for Oct. 31 and Nov. 7 from 4 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.

Any student who wishes to sign up for the free “Gator Self-Defense” class can do so at the campus rec website listed below: https://member.campusrec.sfsu. edu/Program/GetProducts.

Student fatally shot off campus

BY DIEGO FELIX STAFF REPORTER

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F State President Lynn Mahoney sent out an email notification to students Friday afternoon stating that a student passed away Thursday evening.

“I write to share tragic news that an SF State student was shot Thursday afternoon in an off-campus incident and died Thursday evening. There is no threat to the University community and the San Francisco Police Department, which responded to the incident, has detained a person of interest,” said President Mahoney in her email.

According to SFPD, Valeria Villagomez, a 21-year-old woman, was shot after 2 p.m. on Thursday at a house on 26th Avenue near Eucalyptus Drive in the Merced Manor neighborhood near Stonestown Galleria. Local schools in the area were told to lock down temporarily.

The victim suffered a gunshot wound, was taken to San Francisco General Hospital and passed away due to the injury.

SFPD didn’t state a possible motive but arrested a suspect, 20-year-old Jose Rodriguez, in connection with what is being called a homicide.

Claire Viades (center) practices self-defense in the Mashouf Wellness Center Oct. 24. (Photo by Paige Acosta / Golden Gate Xpress)

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following the Kincade fire. In an Oct. 27 tweet, Francisco will open 200 beds to evacuees from uture shelter locations

TUESDAY, OCT. 29, 2019 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG 4•CITY Blackouts continue as state burns Plea to end

PG&E brief updates

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xpect Bay Area power outages for the next decade, according to Utility PG&E chief executive Bill Johnson during a California Public Utilities Commission meeting earlier this month.

According to the 2019 Wildfire Safety Plan, power outages will be often and necessary as long as extreme and dry weather conditions persist.

The SF Chronicle reported that the utility company is working on updating its electrical systems to prevent future blackouts.

Important upgrades include covering bare wires and strengthening poles in areas that are most susceptible to fires.

“I didn’t mean to say we’d be doing it on this scale for 10 years. I think they’ll decrease in size and scope every year,” Johnson said in a later statement.

In the short term, PG&E crews are still working to restore areas that were affected by the Oct. 26 outages, but for now customers can prepare for another on Tuesday and Wednesday.

n light of widespread dry wind events in California, utility Pacific Gas and Electric will once again initiate power shutdowns in 32 counties today through midday Wednesday.

Notifications have been sent to PG&E customers in Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Glenn, Humboldt, Kern, Lake, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, Yolo and Yuba counties, the utility stated.

The shutdowns are part of a continued public safety effort, according to an Oct. 27 press release.

In Northern and Central California, PG&E serves a 70,000-mile area, half of which is currently at high risk for fire outbreaks.

Wind gusts in many of these counties may exceed 45 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

Strong offshore winds combined with dry environments promote dangerous fire conditions, and said effects of such conditions will continue to threaten the state this week. Numerous fires blazed across California the past several days, with the largest fire affecting Kincade.

PG&E said the extreme weather conditions like high winds can also damage electrical infrastructure and spark power lines, facilitating the spread of fires.

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ov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency in light of the Kincade fire, which has evacuated almost 200,000 people.

This week Newsom traveled to Geyserville, Los Angeles and Napa to meet with residents, emergency crews and health officials, according to a press release. He also held public forums to discuss future fire threats and encouraged cities to hold utilities responsible for the fires that follow a power outage.

The governor also announced an allocation of $75 million from state and local governments to alleviate some of the burden from those experiencing power outages. Last week he also obtained grants to supply local and state agencies with the tools necessary to fight both the Kincade and Tick fires.

In San Francisco, Mayor London Breed declared a local emergency following the Kincade fire. In an Oct. 27 tweet, she announced that St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco will open 200 beds to evacuees from Sonoma county. The city is currently exploring other future shelter locations.

t Food

Fire engulfs a barn next to Chalk Hill Road near Windsor Calif. Oct. 27. (Photo by William Wendelman / Golden Gate Xpress)

Kincade fire blazes on

BY MJ JOHNSON CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR

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he blaze of the Kincade Fire in Sonoma County, which started Wednesday night, grew to a whopping 66,231 acres and led to mass evacuations of the surrounding areas. Cal Fire officials said Monday morning the fire was 5% contained and had destroyed 96 structures.

Low humidity and fast moving winds have spread the Kincade Fire and Cal Fire estimates full containment to be Nov. 7. No deaths have been reported as of Sunday, Cal Fire said. A Red Flag Warning, a forecast warning that conditions are ideal for fire combustion and rapid spread, had been issued throughout the Bay Area over the weekend but ended at 11 a.m. Monday, another Red Flag Warning will be issued Tuesday night, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Mark Walburn at a press conference Monday.

“Firefighters are actively engaged right now,” said Steve Volmer, fire behavior analyst for Cal Fire at the Monday press conference. “With this windshift, it’s going to give us a decrease in the fire behavior out there, which is going to limit the amount of spotting, limit flame length and fire intensity.”

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Mandatory evacuations have been ordered throughout Sonoma County up to northern Santa Rosa, Healdsburg and Windsor with 180,000 people under the evacuation order.

Further evacuations are expected as a severe wind event of winds up to 76 mph continues to spread the fire with erratic behavior. Over 70,000 structures are still under threat, according to a Cal Fire incident report Monday morning.

“This is the largest evacuation that any of us at the Sheriff’s Office can remember,” the Sonoma Sheriff’s department said in a tweet.

“Take care of each other.”

The fire started late Wednesday night near Kincade Road and Burned Mountain Road in Geyserville, according to state officials. By 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. had conducted a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) of the area affecting 27,837 customers in Sonoma County. PG&E de-energized distribution lines, but per protocols transmission lines in the area remained energized. According to a report filed with the California Public Utilities Commission, PG&E became aware of a transmission tower outage malfunction at 9:20 p.m. near the fire’s origin before the fire broke out. Investigations into the cause of the fire are still pending.

PG&E

OPINION

BY FRANK SUMRALL MANAGING EDITOR

“

These past few nights I’ve been unable to sleep and I know many of my fellow Sonoma County natives feel the same,” said Alina Robello, a Santa Rosa resident. “Tonight is the same. I cannot sleep.”

Whether PG&E is responsible for the newest disaster, the Kincade fire, it does not excuse this company of their grievances and wrongdoings violating state and federal laws. PG&E should be broken up for their failure to secure a resilient power grid in California.

Of the 21 major wildfires that burned through the golden state in 2017, PG&E sparked at least 17 of them according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Already burdened with billions in debt, their reckless malpractices continued to spark havoc the following year, when Paradise lit aflame in the Camp Fire. Officially the deadliest wildfire in state history, the Camp Fire caused 85 fatalities and 17 injuries.

The culprit was the company’s decades-old transmission line and the failure to repair or replace it, according to a Wall Street Journal investigation. The investigation concluded that the company originally planned to fix the aging equipment in 2013, but continually pushed the project off.

“They [PG&E] have simply been caught red-handed over and over again, lying, manipulating or misleading the public,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said to the New York Times.

San Diego Gas and Electric, which Newsom applauded, have only had to cut power to 52,000 of its customers in the past six years.

PG&E cut power to 700,000 of its customers in an Oct. 9 shutdown alone in comparison.

A smart state government would disband a company responsible for 111 deaths over the last decade. California needs to be that government, right now.

Some Windsor residents refuse to leave despite severe evacuation orders CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Sunday morning, Windsor resident Gerald Cox walked with his dog back to his home a mile away on the hills near Foothill Regional Park. The previous night, firefighters told him to leave the area so he went to stay with his mother who lived a mile away.

Firefighters used Cox’s house as a “battleground” on Saturday. They were determined to stop the fire from rolling down the hill and into the city, When Cox arrived, firefighters were putting out small flames that appeared to spring up from underground. Although his backyard was black, Cox’s house remained undamaged.

“I feel grateful but surprised to the extent of the damage but I was here when the fire hit and it was a frontal assault with embers flying. The firefighters chose this spot and really put the personnel to stop it, so it’s all good,” Cox said. “Nobody in the neighborhood’s house[s] got burned down.”

Fire stations from all over California and Nevada’s Division of Forestry sent fire engines to help contain the fire.

“When the fire started moving this way, they rallied the resources and got them in

and stopped it from coming into town,” Hardy said.

The increase in wind speed, predicted to start Saturday night, didn’t arrive until Sunday morning, giving firefighters more time to prepare.

On the other side of the park, on Chalk Hill Road, home to several vineyards, firefighters were still battling flames that had in some places reached the other side of the road. Up in the hills, orange lines of fire could be seen at night as the fire continued moving south.

"I feel grateful but surprised to the extent of the damage but I was here when the fire hit, and it was a frontal assault with embers flying.”

-GERALD COX

10/28/19 10:08 PM

CITY•5 Yang gang rallies at San Francisco City Hall

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG | TUESDAY, OCT. 29, 2019

BY ANDREW R. LEAL OPINION EDITOR

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ndrew Yang rallied his supporters, known as the Yang Gang, at City Hall on Oct. 27 in his second presidential campaign stop in San Francisco.

Hundreds of supporters gathered with a sea of “Yang 2020” signs among a sprinkling of “one thousand dollar” posters featuring Yang’s face in the portrait. The latter refer to Yang’s freedom dividend, a plan to give every American 18 years old and over $1000 per month, and is a campaign definer for Yang in a crowded field of democratic presidential candidates.

“I’m a numbers guy San Francisco,” Yang said.

How he crunches the numbers to support his freedom dividend lies with a Value Added Tax, which taxes “the production of goods or services a business produces,” according to the Yang 2020 website. Yang homed in Amazon, owned

by Jeff Bezos, to chip in for the VAT. “How much did Amazon pay in taxes last year?” Yang asked at the rally. “Zero!” shouted the crowd.

But Yang does not set the blame solely on billionaires like Bezos.

“It is our fault,” Yang said. “We have to be pretty stupid to have a system where Amazon, a trillion-dollar tech company, pays $0 in taxes.”

A handful of supporters came out dressed as Yang, like William Lex Ham, an actor who depicted Trump being stepped on by Ham as Yang.

He first came upon Yang through Joe Rogan’s podcast, which featured the candidate Feb. 12.

His campaign, like a couple of others including Sen. Bernie Sanders, have utilized newer media Democratic Presidential candidate Andrew Yang high fives a campaign staffer before his campaign rally at City Hall in San Francisco, spaces like Rogan’s podcast, which streams and Calif. Oct. 27. (Photo by J​ uliana Yamada / Golden Gate Xpress) posts to Youtube, to reach a diverse set of voters and podcasts.” with a tweet, “Maybe next time we should rather than rely on traditional outlets for coverage.

Yang’s appearance on podcasts like raise $20 million!”

Rogan’s has led to a coalition of voters, However, while Yang does well with spread across both aisles of the political fundraising, a potential weak point in his Yang has qualified for “As commander-in-chief, spectrum, moving to support Yang. platform is his stance on foreign policy, the fifth democratic “So many republicans are changing over according to Bradley Davis, a software my job will be to keep the their party affiliation to vote for Andrew engineer. But when it comes to making primary debate which American people safe.” in the Democratic primaries,” Ham said. calls to bring to justice the leader of ISIS One point of contention among Yang Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi like Trump did will be hosted by -ANDREW YANG supporters and the candidate himself earlier this week, Yang finds he would MSNBC and The is how they perceive the corporate me- make the same call.

“I think people are pulling away from those dia’s handling of the campaign’s cov“Of course,” Yang said, “I mean full Washington Post Nov. types of models of media,” Alyssa Cheatham, an erage. Yang responded to being left out credit has to go to the special ops teams occupational therapist, said about older media of a CNN graphic detailing third-quar- and everyone in the chain of command.

20. organizations. “Especially the younger genera- ter fundraising hauls that had Sen. Cory As commander-in-chief my job will be to tion. So (if) you want to reach some of the newer Booker included even though he raised $6 keep the American people safe.” voters, you are going to have to go to Youtube million compared to Yang’s $10 million

November ballot breakdown The following is a distillation of the six local ballot measures that will appear on the upcoming ballot for the Nov. 5 election, sourced primarily from the text of the measures. This information was compiled by Juan Carlos Lara, staff reporter.

Proposition A: San Francisco Bond Issue for Affordable Housing If Prop. A passes, the city will issue $600 million in bonds to fund the purchase and construction of affordable housing for various groups. The specified distribution of funds is as follows: $220 million for extremely low and low income individuals $150 million for public housing $150 million for senior housing $60 million to purchase and preserve affordable rental housing $20 million of assistance for employees of the San Francisco Unified School District and City College of San Francisco The $600 million worth of bonds, spurred by the ongoing housing crisis, must be repaid with interest in 30 years, partially through gradual increases in property taxes. Landlords may pass half of this cost increase onto their tenants.

Proposition C: Authorize and Regulate Sale of Electronic Cigarettes and Vapor Products Initiative Residents placed Prop. C on the ballot through a petition after the city’s Board of Supervisors voted to ban the sale of electronic cigarettes earlier this year. The measure would overturn the ban while adding regulations to decrease the rate of underaged consumption. The measure’s primary supporter was Juul Labs, which loaned $11.5 million to the campaign to push for the passage of Prop C — that is, until the company pulled their support of the measure at the end of September.

‘This decision does not change the fact that as a San Francisco-founded and headquartered company we remain committed to the city,” said Juul Labs CEO K.C. Crosthwaite in a letter announcing the decision.

In response to this announcement, Prop. C campaigners also announced they would cease their push for the measure’s passage. Regardless, with these announcements coming just over a month before the election, it was too late to pull the measure itself, so Prop. C will appear on the ballot.

Proposition B: San Francisco Disability and Aging Services Charter Amendment Proposition B would change the name of San Francisco’s Aging and Adult Services department to Disability and Aging Service.

Aside from changing the name, the measure would also create specific requirements for the seven-person commission that controls the department. All seven members are appointed by the mayor but, if the proposition passes, at least one member must be at least 60 years old, one must be a person with a disability and one must have served in the U.S. Military.

“Older adults are the fastest growing age group in San Francisco, and there are over 90,000 people with disabilities living in our City. By 2030, almost 30% of our community will be (composed) of older people and adults with disabilities,” Shireen McSpadden, executive director for the San Francisco Department of Aging and Adult Services, said in an annual report earlier this year.

Proposition D: San Francisco Ride-Share Business Tax to Fund Muni, Pedestrian, and Bicycle Services and Infrastructure If voters pass Prop. D, the city will begin taxing ride-hail businesses and directing the revenues to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority.

The city will impose a 1.5% tax on shared rides and rides in zero-emission vehicles, as well as a 3.25% tax on single-passenger rides.

Supervisor Aaron Peskin and representatives from Uber and Lyft negotiated the tax rates. They’re lower than those of similar taxes in other cities, but in exchange the two ride-hail companies agreed not to fight the measure.

The tax would take effect Jan. 1, 2020, and produce between $30 million and $35 million, according to the measure. Half of this money would go to the SFMTA for Muni maintenance and potential expansion, and the other half would go to the SFCTA for pedestrian and cyclist safety. The measure exempts taxis, but it taxes driverless vehicles should they be used for ride-hail business in the future. The measure would expire in 2045.

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Proposition E: San Francisco Reduced Zoning Restrictions for Affordable Housing and Educator Housing Projects San Francisco prohibits residential structures from being built in public zoning districts, which can only contain businesses or public amenities. Prop. E would allow “100% affordable and educator housing projects” to be built in these public zoning districts.

This housing must be affordable to those who earn 120% of the neighborhood’s average median income or lower. One-hundred percent affordable housing projects built under this measure must be affordable to those making a maximum of 80% of the area’s average median income. The Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development will be responsible for determining rent and sale prices, along with identifying applicable properties.

These reduced restrictions would shorten development timelines and decrease construction costs in the process, according to City Controller Ben Rosenfield.

Proposition F: San Francisco Campaign Contribution Restrictions and Advertisement Disclaimer Requirements Prop. F prohibits donors from making land-use-related contributions to the mayor, the city attorney, San Francisco supervisors or any candidates to those offices if the prospective donor has a financial interest in a relevant project or works for a company with a financial interest in a relevant project.

The measure, if passed, would also alter the current requirements placed on campaign ads across media. The primary change proposed in the measure would compel advertisers to disclose the names and donation amounts of the top three donors for printed, video and audio ads.

10/28/19 10:08 PM

6•SPORTS

TUESDAY, OCT. 29, 2019 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

49ers win while Oakland falls

BY JIMMY DEROGATIS SPORTS EDITOR

D

efensive coordinator Robert Saleh of the niners celebrated a seventh win but a familiar reddish purple face of Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden unloaded a profanity laced tirade at refs and officials on Sunday because of a second straight loss.

The final scores ended up 51-13 loss for the Carolina Panthers against the 49ers and 27-24 win for the Houston Texans who hosted the Raiders. Niners running back Devon Coleman got the scoring to an early start by scoring a blast off touchdown right through the heart of the defense. It was to the niners second touchdown of the first quarter which gave them a 14-0 lead

Coleman blasted his second touchdown of the game downfield early in the second quarter. Around this same time Raiders starting center Rodney Hudson was carted off the field with an apparent ankle injury.

Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow caught a short dig on an inside out tight cut out route pass towards the weak side of the field and broke two arm tackles by Texan defenders Jahleel Addae and Lonnie Johnson Jr. to score initially for the Raiders.

The 49ers, around the midway point of the first half, had speedster running back Matt Breida show off why he is one of the fastest guys in the league when he finished a midfield run all the way to the house for another niners score.

Niners defensive end Nick Bosa had a career game with interceptions and sacks galore and he put the dagger in the Panthers hearts when he intercepted a pass at the line of scrimmage.

But failed to score another touchdown with that play.

Bosa looks to be the real deal and even so may have more raw talent than his All-pro, pro-bowl brother defensive end Joey Bosa of the Los Angeles Chargers.

Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins fumbled the ball after Raiders defensive end “Mad” Maxx Crosby with about 3:04 left in the fourth quarter.

Former NFL official and the current rules analyst for the CBS NFL Football broadcast Gene Steratore, often comes on-air during the broadcast of games and shares on NFL.com what his ruling would be.

“It was very, very close, what I saw was DeAndre Hopkins elbow just makes contact with the ground as the football starts to move before he’s ruled down,” he said.

“I can’t tell you definitively that he’s lost control of it at that time, when DeAndre (Hopkins) right elbow first hits the turf, so the football starts to move but isn’t clearly out yet, so I don’t think they would’ve changed it.”

This opened the door wide open for Texans quarterback DeShawn Watson, who finished out the game with his eye swollen shut after being kicked through the facemask by Raiders defensive end Arden Key, miraculously threw a go-ahead touchdown. The play eventually propelled the Texans to victory and Watson continues to make highlight plays each given Sunday.

Digital illustration of Nick Bosa, defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers. Drawn by Karamel NunezMartinez/ Golden Gate Xpress.

Masvidal no match for Diaz in upcoming welterweight match ov. 2 will be a day for fight fanatics and casuals alike to watch one of the most exhilarating nights of handto-hand combat sports. Global superstar and boxing cash cow Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez will move up two weight divisions to challenge Light Heavyweight Champion Sergey Kovalev in Vegas.

That same day at Madison Square Garden, Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz will headline UFC 244 for bragging rights to gain possession of an opportunity to the welterweight belt.

Canelo will fight his third fight under his record-breaking $365 million deal with DAZN, a multimedia broadcasting app that recently launched in the U.S. in 2018. In order to watch the fight, fans must download the app, which carries a $19.99 monthly fee.

Canelo’s past pay-per-view bouts cost an average of $84.99 per fight.

Alvarez will defeat Kovalev by unanimous decision to become the fourth boxer of Mexican descent to win championships in four weight divisions. Alvarez will dominate the bigger Kovalev with body shots and keep distance with the jab. Kovalev already was stopped twice in his career and was the same since his 2017 TKO loss to Andre Ward. Kovalev’s two losses came by the hands of Ward and Eleider Alvarez, two boxers who carry similar characteristics and fighting styles as ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. His superior head movement, straight from the Floyd Mayweather playbook, showed in a win against Daniel Jacobs, a top three middleweight. Kovalev must set the pace early as Alvarez has both a height and reach advantage, leaving him to bully Kovalev around the ring.

Alvarez will outwork Kovalev with his ring generalship as he has fought in 17 more professional fights in his career

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compared to Kovalev.

Canelo will also be looking for a victory in order to gain leverage in choosing his next opponent. Alvarez disagreed with his promotional company, Golden Boy Promotions, on the choice of opponents and when he wins, he will be champion in two weight divisions with a higher number of available opponents.

Diaz and Masvidal meanwhile will fight on ESPN+.

Nate Diaz’s relentless ground game and superior chin to absorb contact will be too much for Masvidal, leaving a TKO or submission victory for Diaz.

He recently came back from a threeyear hiatus and won a hard fought decision in August. Masvidal is known for his cardio and striking, something Diaz worked on consistently in training camp. Diaz sparred with professional boxers to perfect his striking and stance.

Both Masvidal and Diaz claimed the “gangster” title in the UFC, representing themselves as fighters who simply don’t care. Masvidal is known for throwing a three-punch combination on Leon Edwards while conducting an interview with ESPN. Diaz started with the edge in mind games when he reminded Masvidal that he might be a gangster, but not a “west coast gangster.”

This night of prizefighting will be one for the books in toe-to-toe action that no one should miss. Alvarez and Diaz will have their hands raised at the end of the day, with their two careers going in separate directions. Alvarez will try and solidify himself in the Hall of Fame conversation while Diaz will try and obtain a trilogy fight with McGregor or a chance at a title against lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov.

EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Carly Wipf cwipf@mail.sfsu.edu PRINT MANAGING EDITOR Frank Sumrall fsumrall@mail.sfsu.edu ONLINE MANAGING AND SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Sahar Swaleh sswaleh@mail.sfsu.edu ART DIRECTOR Paisley Trent ptrent@mail.sfsu.edu CITY NEWS EDITOR David Mamaril Horowitz dhorowitz@mail.sfsu.edu CAMPUS NEWS EDITORS MJ Johnson mjohnson23@mail.sfsu.edu Paisley Trent ptrent@mail.sfsu.edu OPINION EDITOR Andrew R. Leal aleal@mail.sfsu.edu SPORTS EDITORS Jimmy DeRogatis jderogatis@mail.sfsu.edu Robert Juarez rjuarez1@mail.sfsu.edu PHOTO EDITOR William Wendelman wwendelman@mail.sfsu.edu

XPRESS ADVISERS PRINT ADVISER Gary Moskowitz gmoskowitz@sfsu.edu MULTIMEDIA ADVISER Sachi Cunningham sachic@sfsu.edu PHOTO ADVISER Kim Komenich komenich@sfsu.edu

BY ALONSO FRIAS STAFF REPORTER

N

GOLDEN GATE XPRESS

@ggxnews @ggxnews

Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Our website, goldengatexpress.org is temporarily down. Staff is working to resolve the issue.

Fifth times the charm for Ferguson v Nurmagomedov

BY KARAMEL NUNEZMARTINEZ STAFF REPORTER

A

fter Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov submitted Dustin Poirier in the third round at the Ultimate Fight Championship 242 main event, Tony “El CuCuy” Ferguson, the number one lightweight contender, called out Nurmagomedov to accept a fight against him or vacate the belt.

Ferguson vs. Nurmagomedov was scheduled by the UFC four times to headline a fight card and all four times the event managed to fall through and get canceled.

In 2015, the two fighters were supposed to face off at The Ultimate Fighter 22 finale but Nurmagomedov called out due to a rib injury. A rematch was rescheduled in April 2016, but it never made a card due to an undisclosed injury from Ferguson.

Never accepting to go three for three, hours before weigh-ins at UFC 209 Nurmagomedov was rushed to the hospital due to weight cut related issues. Fast forward a year later and a vacated lightweight title, the two were scheduled for UFC 223. But a few days before the bout, Ferguson tripped over a cord and tore his LCL, and was stripped of his interim Championship title.

The UFC’s decision to strip Ferguson of the interim title was solely done to “keep the division moving”, Feuguson’s LCL injury was a huge freak accident, while walking to a mandatory press conference he tripped

when he turned his head to say hello to someone in the building.

So when the now 28-0 Nurmagomedov is in talks for his next title defense, the only name that should come up is Tony Ferguson. With no disrespect to Dustin Poirier who won the interim belt after a stellar performance against Max Holloway, Ferguson is still the lightweight interim champ and has all rights to demand a title shot.

When he held the title, Ferguson was an active fighter and hasn’t lost a fight since 2012 putting him on a 12 fight win streak and holding the most consecutive wins in the lightweight division.

Stylistically the fight would be a true joy for any fight fan. Nurmagomedov, who is the epitome of a grappling specialist, compared to Ferguson’s erratic stand-up game and unorthodox style of jiu-jitsu. It would leave viewers betting on either Ferguson getting choked out or Nurmagomedov being taken to snap city.

Since Connor McGregor announced his return to the UFC on October 24, fight promoters will try to push a rematch between McGregor and Nurmagomedov. But McGregor was inactive for three years and lost his last two fights. This places him in a position where he needs to step up before he’s given a title shot.

UFC 246 would be a good time frame for the fighters since everyone left their last fights with relatively zero injuries … even UFC 247 would work. Neither cards have a line-up or main event and the names of the two fighters carry more than enough weight to promote the event.

10/28/19 9:42 PM

OPINION•7

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG | TUESDAY, OCT. 29, 2019

A Christian’s take on celebrating Halloween

BY ARIANNE ARCIAGA STAFF REPORTER

The spooky season comes to a close this Thursday on Halloween. Every year, “trick or treat” echoes through the streets as people of all ages run through their neighborhood knocking on people’s doors dressed as their favorite fictional character, hoping to get treats, not tricks.

However, some religious groups frown on this holiday, including the Baptist church, which my family and I went to worship at, do not believe in celebrating Halloween.

The Baptist church’s problem with the spooky holiday is that they believe it is a day to celebrate darkness, evil and death.

If you are a Baptist and are on the fence about celebrating Halloween or not, I say go for it! But, you do not have to.

Halloween has always been a fun and harmless holiday for me and I did not have to worship darkness to participate.

Pick what feels right in your heart this Halloween season.

My family despite being Baptists have openly celebrated Halloween for years. We never received backlash from the leaders of our congregation or any fellow members. But the negative message about Halloween was always delivered every year around this time.

Halloween was originally a holiday celebrated by Chris-

tians, to honor the martyrs and saints of faith and departed.

The celebration established by Pope Boniface IV came to be known as All Saints’ Day which was held on May 13 of every year. That is until Pope Gregory III changed the date to Nov. 1, according to stadfaslutherans.org.

The spooky holiday we know today can trace its ancestry to All Saints’ Day through the Bible which has days begin at sundown. So on Oct. 31 at sunset the day becomes All Hallows’ Eve which the word Halloween is derived from.

Almost every year during my childhood and adolescence, I dressed up as a television show character and went trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. It’s the one night where I could be whoever I wanted and you can too, regardless of faith.

Whenever Halloween comes around, I do keep my own beliefs in mind. I do not participate in any activity that could possibly affect the way I see my religion: witchcraft, fortune telling or maybe some form of summoning a ghost.

I choose not to participate in these activities for both personal and religious reasons but I still have fun.

“Halloween reminds us [Christians] that we are supposed to be different,” said Christina Reyes, youth leader at Bay International Church in Hayward that focuses on christian beliefs. “Just because we miss one night of costumes and candy doesn’t mean we’re missing out on anything at all.”

Baptists and other Christians still debate whether or not celebrating Halloween is good or bad. A 2015 Facebook poll conducted by the Christian Broadcasting Network found that 87% of people say that they choose not to celebrate Halloween while the 13% believe that it’s okay to celebrate the holiday.

“The bible obviously doesn’t say much on things like Halloween specifically and that ambiguity is purposeful,” said Trinity Dubrow, President of City Cru, a Christian ministry at SF State. “I believe that God gives us free will because He loves us, so the free will to choose if Halloween is something we want to celebrate is given to us.”

Many Catholic and Christian churches host Halloween themed parties and fundraisers. My church has encouraged kids and families to come to church in their Halloween costumes and have the families trick-or-treat together to make it a safer environment despite their beliefs about the holiday.

“Personally, I believe if Jesus was here today, He’d be passing out the biggest candy bars and putting effort into making the best community events during this season.” said Dubrow. “He’d show us love and He’d want to see us enjoy the things life has to offer.”

Colleges take a drastic toll on mental health

BY KERASA DIMITRIOS TSOKAS STAFF REPORTER

I

f you have depression, you are not alone.

Many students entering college think, “finally, now I don’t have to go to class all the time.” At least that’s what I thought. I soon found out that attendance is for the most part mandatory and was told by countless professors that missing class is a last option.

What I didn’t prepare for, apart from the mandatory attendance, was for my depression to get increasingly worse during college. When I was a third year I found myself crying everyday about school.

No one should have to choose between going to school and possibly having a breakdown in the bathroom stalls or staying at home and taking time for themselves.

No one should have to choose between going to school and possibly having a breakdown in the bathroom stalls or staying at home and taking time for themselves.

Homework, even the simple action of typing my name on a Google Doc, felt like an unconquerable task. Going to class was like a performance for me just to see how long I could last without crying. I am depressed.

And I am definitely not alone.

The National Institute of Mental Health found that adults aged between 18-25 are the highest individuals to more commonly experience a major depressive episode.

According to SF State’s Enrollment Headcount Report, 73% of students on campus during Fall 2018 were aged between 18-24.

October is National Depression Awareness Month. Methods for awareness include a national screening day where people can go to clinics and hospitals. While the screenings do not count as a professional diagnosis, it allows others to know if they have a presence of depressive symptoms.

There was a 3.5% increase in undergraduates who felt “so depressed that it was difficult to function” between Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 according to the National College Health Assessment.

The Disability Programs and Resource Center (DPRC) at SF State is a unit within Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. Their main task is to work with students and employees with disabilities to

GGX_FALL_2019_Issue 9 PAGES 6-8.indd 2

make sure that all aspects of campus are accessible to them.

“Many requests for accommodations do require a medical provider to fill out the form to allow DPRC to have an understanding of how the student’s disability affects their ability to have access to a university program or service,” Wendy Tobias, Director of DPRC said. “We generally first speak to the student as students are experts on their own life experience and can share what has been useful in the past or for someone with a new disability, explore more about their experience thus far.”

The DPRC website has a section titled “Documentation Guidelines” that outlines what a medical provider might have to write in a student’s form.

Tobias suggests that “all students see

DPRC as soon as they are considering services even if they do not have documentation with them so we can help focus on exactly what is needed to save everyone time.”

I haven’t sought help for my depression. In fact, this is my first time publicly stating I have depression.

Since my depression isn’t medically confirmed, I was skeptical of any programs SF State had to offer. Without writing this article I honestly wouldn’t have known that DPRC would have listened to me without documentation of my depression.

I am a fourth year student graduating next semester (hopefully) and I took the services here on campus for granted. I urge anyone who feels any sort of hopelessness, inability to do things that once

interested them or extreme anxiousness to seek help.

If you cannot seek professional help yet, that is okay.

Talk to friend or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 (TALK).

You are not alone.

STATISTICS FOR DEPRESSION AWARENESS MONTH 1

ADULTS AGED 18-25

are the highest individuals to more commonly experience a major depressive episode

2 73% OF SF STATE STUDENTS in the Fall 2018 semester were 18-24

years old

3

PLEASE REACH OUT National Suicide Prevention

THERE WAS A 3.5% INCREASE in undergraduates who felt “so

Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 (TALK)

depressed that it was difficult to function” between Fall 2018 and Spring 2019

By Kerasa Dimitrios Tsokas

INFORMATION FROM: National College Health Assessment National Institute of Mental Health SF State's Enrollment Headcount Report

10/28/19 9:42 PM

8•ARTS&ENTERTAINMENTTUESDAY, OCT. 29 2019 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG First annual Noche De Cultura celebrates all kinds of cultures through student artistic talent

BY SAHAR SWALEH SOCIAL MEDIA & ONLINE EDITOR

Mikaela Martinez, an Alpha Pi Sigma sister, displays her Chicano style inspired artwork to convey the “divine feminine” at Noche De Cultura Oct. 22. (Photo by MJ Johnson / Golden Gate Xpress)

hythmic beats of modern pop and rap music filled the crowded room of Jack Adams Hall Oct. 22 at 6 p.m.

Dozens of students sat around round pink tables decorated in confetti with plates of rice, beans and chicken from Taqueria Girasol as they waited for the first Noche de Cultura event to begin.

The three-hour event celebrated culture including traditional heritage and art, but also delved into modern issues affecting students. The event was put on by Alpha Pi Sigma Sorority Inc., a Latinx-based organization, to fundraise and create a cultural night to combine their Latinx community and culture with the SF State campus. It provided students a platform to sing, talk and perform about their culture and issues pertinent to them.

“Our organization is very culturally motivated, so we wanted to reach out to our student campus to have them perform and show off their art,” said Angie Arroyo, a sister of Alpha Pi Sigma.

The fundraising event was for three $500 annual scholarships for Latinx students. Although it was originally just for undocumented students, the scholarship opened up to all Latinx students so that a greater pool of students could apply, sorority president Frida Rojas said.

To open up the night, the student Hispanic dance club Ballet Folklorico De San Pancho performed. They danced and spun to “La Negra” and “Jarabe Tapatio” by Mariachi Vargas De Tecalitlan in their colorful attire. The four performers twirled in green, red, blue and pink dresses with wide smiles on their faces.

The event was open to Latinx culture but not limited to it. Student performers took this opportunity to discuss important topics and other cultures that are prominent in society such as rape culture.

SF State psychology major Anthony Sanchez sang “Too Good at Goodbyes” by Sam Smith and “Read All About It” by Emeli Sandé to open up the conversation to that culture.

Sanchez, a victim of sexual assault, said he was nervous to perform but realized the necessity to emphasize that the voices of him and other victims will not remain silent.

The rest of the night had other performers who sang, likeJordan Y’ Lexus, Anthony Sanchez and Maya Canales. Other skits featured a variety of talent by performers, such as poetry by Janet Lopez Galindo and a comedy skit

by Adolofo Badillo Lopez Jr. Gabriella Castillo, a first-year student, dedicated a mel-

R

ody of five songs to her recently passed grandfather. She strung together the words of “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” “You Are My Sunshine,” “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “God Bless the Broken Road” and “I Will Stand By You.” “It was really nerve wracking, but I wanted to get out of my comfort zone,” Castillo said.

To end the night, Danza Azteca Coyolxuqui performed traditional indigenous dances in colorful tribal clothing.

They spoke of the importance of keeping tradition alive and danced to the beat of the drum with seed rattles on their ankles and instruments in hand.

“The event was a fun night filled with many different cultural backgrounds, and some less talked about cultures like rape culture and family culture,” said Emmanuel Delatorre, a Nu Alpha Kappa Fraternity Inc brother. “It brought many perspectives and messages that could be related to everyone throughout the room.”

The sisters hope to make this an annual event.

Watch a video by campus news editor MJ Johnson highlighting the event on Youtube @xpressnews and Instagram @ggxnews.

Bay Area haunted houses dare to scare

BY ALONDRA GALLARDO STAFF REPORTER

I

love the adrenaline rush that comes with the spooky activities of Halloween festivities, so for me, haunted houses are the way to go.

After spending some time looking up the top rated haunted houses near me, Blind Scream located in Santa Rosa appeared multiple times so I was compelled to check it out.

During my recent visit, endless screams came from the groups of people being let in before the adrenaline and excitement began to kick in quickly.

“If you don’t touch them they won’t touch you” the gatekeeper said as I stepped foot into the foggy room. The darkness and isolation of what was once the Sears auto center gives the whole dark vibe a spooky kickoff.

Blind Scream includes two houses. The first house was “Lil Horrus’s Fun House,” where I got lost after walking through the colorful but dark spinning tunnel. I kept running into the same screaming killer clown who led me into a pitch black inflated tunnel where I could only move forward. I fell out into a sea of dark screams and continued throughout what seemed to be a never ending maze of surprises at every corner.

While waiting in line for the second house,

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“Witch’s House,” a mother and her 13-yearold son said it is their third year attending the houses and said they were excited to see the different themes offered this year on the 10year Blind Scream anniversary.

My journey throughout this house was a bit shorter and more spread out, so I didn’t need to prepare myself every few seconds for something to jump out at me at the turn of every corner.

There is a coffin ride called “The Last Ride” where visitors get to lie inside of a coffin with a bouquet of dead roses while it moves and makes noises as if you are actually getting buried. At the end I received a death certificate with my name on it that I can now include in my resume.

If you are in for the spooks and into being buried and brought back to life, Blind Scream will leave you blindly screaming.

If Santa Rosa is not the distance for you there are other highly rated haunted houses in the Bay Area:

Check out the map to the right for other haunted houses in the Bay Area, Theseinclude Blind Scream in Santa Rosa, Into the Dark in SF, Fear Overload Scream Park in San Leandro, Pirates of Emerson in Pleaston and Halloween Haunt in Santa Clara.

(Map by Briana Battle / Golden Gate Xpress)

10/28/19 9:42 PM