Spring 2020 Issue 3

SF State’s student-run publication since 1927

Tuesday, Feb. 11 2020

Volume 110, Issue 3

Artist faces mental health through comic art

The art of Lawrence Lindell showcased in his exhibit Queer Comics Saves Lives at Strut in the Castron (Photo by Maddison October / Golden Gate Xpress) For the story go to page 4.

Scammers phish for student emails

BY JACQUELYN MORENO STAFF REPORTER

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nformation and Technology Services sent an email on Feb. 7 warning students of phishing scams disguised as job offers. According to the ITS phishing guide at SF State, “Phishing is an attempt to acquire sensitive information by pretending to be a legitimate or trustworthy entity.”

This is done by email or text message and usually has some form of link to redirect the receiver to a fraudulent site in order to trick them into putting in their us-

Pow Wow / Page 8

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ername, password, social security number, etc., in order to hack their accounts.

One fraudulent email claims there is additional information needed to receive financial aid. This phishing scam email is intended to get the receiver to click on the email so that it could then redirect them to a fake SF State login website page.

This phishing scam is aimed at tricking students into entering their login information on this fake sign-on page in order to receive their username and password.

Entering any information pertaining to a student’s bank account is targeted in order to get a hold of account and routing numbers.

Aliyah Murphy recalls opening an email on Sept. 19 from a sender without credentials suggesting that she click on the link below from Paypal to authenticate her account. Murphy never entered her information, but engaging with the email was enough to fill her inbox with spam less than a week later.

Art Walk / Page 4

On Sept. 24, 2019, Murphy began receiving a barrage of sexually suggestive messages to her student email. They continued all night and all she could do was turn off her notifications.

Murphy said she went to ITS; they locked her out of her student account and installed antivirus software. This process took about two weeks and her professors had to send her assignments to her personal account.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Baseball / Page 6

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2•CAMPUS

TUESDAY, FEB. 11, 2020| GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

GOLDEN Gone phishing for data GATE T XPRESS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

his isn’t the first time that Murphy has gotten a suspicious email claiming to be from the university.

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Karamel Nunez-Martinez knunezmartinez@mail.sfsu. edu

PRINT MANAGING EDITOR Andrew R. Leal aleal@mail.sfsu.edu

ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR Alondra Gallardo agallardo2@mail.sfsu.edu

ART DIRECTORS Briana Battle bbattle@mail.sfsu.edu Alexis Joseph ajoseph3@mail.sfsu.edu

CITY NEWS EDITOR Catherine Stites cstites@mail.sfsu.edu

CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR Juan Carlos Lara jlara9@mail.sfsu.edu SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Kameron Hall khall6@mail.sfsu.edu

SPORTS EDITOR Grady Duggan gduggan@mail.sfsu.edu

OPINION EDITOR Kerasa Tsokas ktsokas@mail.sfsu.edu ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Felicia Hyde fhyde@mail.sfsu.edu PHOTO EDITOR Shandana Qazi sqazi@mail.sfsu.edu

XPRESS ADVISERS PRINT ADVISER

Laura Moorhead lauralm@sfsu.edu

PHOTO ADVISER

Kim Komenich komenich@sfsu.edu

@ggxnews @ggxnews

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“I had an email once that said I got suspended from the school and then I called the school and they’re like ‘that didn’t come from us,” Murphy said. “And I clicked a link because it was like, ‘to view your report.’”

Scammers also target university employees for their access to mass amounts of student, staff and faculty information.

ITS sent 3,566 simulated phishing training messages sent to SF State employees as part of their January 2020 Security Awareness Campaign.

11.3% of SF State employees responded to the simulated link that’s designed to collect the susceptibility rate of those who responded. This rate increased 3.83% compared to the November 2019 campaign results.

The ITS team is working on a device and app called Duo, to be used for multi-factor authentication (MFA), according to Nish Malik, the associate vice president and chief information officer in the ITS department.

Malik is responsible for working on providing students, staff, and faculty with new solutions to prevent phishing scams from victimizing anyone on campus.

Duo is a keychain that has a specific code connected to personal accounts and notifies the person when an account is logged into.

Once verified, then the person is able to access the account online. This browser session expires after 12 hours then the process starts again.

“What I want you to get from MFA is your password. You enter your password. You could be using your password in 20 places but this thing, the code, it puts in a second layer of protection, which hackers can’t get to,” Malik said.

“Once we have rolled-out MFA to all fac-

ulty, we will work on developing a plan for rolling the same out to SF State students as we take protecting our data very seriously,” Malik said.

There is not an exact date for the MFA readers to be distributed, but students are to expect this new supplement within the year.

For Sunshine Buitrago, this suspicious email arrived on Feb. 1 disguised as a job opportunity.

“The email was actually this girl looking for dog-sitting. So I’m a dog sitter, I’m a dog walker so to get emails like that it’s pretty normal for me,” Buitrago said.

The sender was a random person who advised Buitrago to email them through her personal email. From there the sender went on by giving a two-paragraph long description of why they needed a dog sitter.

“So her offer was $350 per week to watch her two dogs for nine hours per week. One, yes I do make pretty good money dog walking but that is a lot of money,” Buitrago.

Buitrago said she also knew something was wrong when the sender was willing to put their personal information in an email rather than meet in person.

Students have become victims of phish scamming with alluring various subjects.

Some of the subjects are job opportunity, revalidating your account, personal assistant, and reviewing a job and confirming applications.

In order to prevent fraudulence, students are advised to directly use the SF State website instead of links through emails.

“Universities become more and more of a target because there’s a lot of individuals that are in universities, said Mary Morshed, the information security officer in ITS. “There’s also intellectual property that is housed in universities, a lot of research happening.”

Students are advised to report suspicious emails to ITS if they are experiencing any fraudulent activity. Instructions for reporting are available in the How to Report Phishing Websites Guide.

(Infographic by Jacquelyn Moreno / Golden Gate Xpress)

Fraternity funds free tax filing SF State students can get their taxes filed for free on campus thanks to student organization

BY SMIT PAREKH STAFF REPORTER

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he IRS-certified Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program is now offering free tax filing services for taxpayers with an annual income less than $56,000

The 1,200 people helped by VITA volunteers at SF State last year got back an average of $800 in refunds.

The VITA program is open in room 205 of the Science building Tuesdays to Fridays from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. until the tax filing deadline, April 15.

The IRS started accepting individual tax returns on Jan. 27, a day after the group of 19 volunteers finished their two-week-long tax filing training.

“If you are an undergraduate student enrolled in a four year degree, you get a credit of $2,500 of which $1,000 is refundable. Not everyone knows that, and you might end up paying fees for some website for filing for the refund whereas VITA can do that for you for free,” said Mitesh Kalathiya, site coordinator for VITA and a graduate student of accounting at SF State.

More than 80% of tax filers between the age of 21-24 are using online tax programs, according to data provided by Experian and Axicom. According to Kalathiya, websites such as TurboTax don’t request the forms one could offer in order to get a refund of all the taxes paid and result in lesser refund amount.

The VITA program is sponsored by Beta Al-

pha Psi, an international honor organization for accounting, finance and business majors to cultivate skills in their field by encouraging students to participate in programs sponsored by it. This year, ten student tax preparers are from the organization and others are a mix of business, finance and accounting students.

While only a total of three student volunteers, two site managers and a coordinator receive three class units to work 18-hours a week for the program, other preparers work to strengthen their resume and improve their skills.

Site manager Meqi Tao said she enjoys working at the program because of the vol-

“The whole point of VITA is that we are open for all, we are here for the community,” unteers’ willingness to give back to the community.

“Fortunately, you don’t have to be a member of Beta Alpha Psi,” said Ezekiel Fung, a site manager and an Accounting major at the university. There are multiple requirements to be admitted in Beta Alpha Psi, and Fung does not meet them.

The group of over a dozen people who work in the small classroom turned office, offer people assistance in over 20 languages, regardless of them being a student.

“The whole point of VITA is that we are open for all, we are here for the community,” said Chad Kesley, Manager of VITA and the president of Beta Alpha Psi at San Francisco State.

Getting your taxes can be overwhelming if you are receiving the refund amount you owe, but it’s impossible.

Kesley has been filing his own tax returns for the past 25 years using TurboTax.com which costs him money for state refunds. He claims, students who are not affiliated with their parents’ tax programs, such as international students, would pay more fees to websites and other preparers than their refund amount itself.

“I had no idea there was a program like this on campus, I’ve been spending over 3-hours on TurboTax for the past two years by myself,” said Ananda Aw, an international student who works part-time on campus.

Getting taxes done in person from the students at VITA program, takes about an hour.

After the filer leaves the office with their tax return sheets, the volunteers spend two hours on each filer to verify the information filed.

Last year, they generated over $1 million in tax refunds for low-income tax filers last year.

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3•CITY Shake Shack opens first chain location in San Francisco GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG | TUESDAY, FEB. 11, 2020

BY MATTHEW MACGUGAN STAFF REPORTER

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he popular East Coast burger restaurant Shake Shack, known for its high-quality patties and frozen custard, has opened its doors at 3060 Fillmore St. The Cow Hollow location is the first extension of the chain to open in the city, becoming the 281st location in the United States. Another location is slated to open this year in the underground food court of the Westfield Mall on Market Street, although a date has not been announced yet.

These two San Francisco locations will serve menu items specific to the local flavor of California. The restaurant will offer a version of its very popular frozen custard, inspired by the Golden State. The flavor is named California Cold Rush and features a vanilla custard base, pieces of Kouign Amann tart, salted caramel sauce and cocoa nibs, according to the Shake Shack website.

“I used to go to Shake Shack downtown when I was living in LA” said Carlos Rodriguez, a SF State student anticipating the opening of the new location.

The burger restaurant is a lengthy 28-minute drive from the SFSU main

campus, or a 40-minute bus ride with a 14-minute walk. With hefty school schedules aligning with the beginning of spring semester, some students may not find the time to enjoy a ShackBurger with fries or a concrete frozen custard.

“Yeah, that’s kind of far for me. There’s plenty of options closer to here and easier to go to,” says Christian Marroquin, a senior at SF State.

The burger chain has recently set up shop in Palo Alto as well. New locations are planned for Oakland, Larkspur and San Mateo at the Hillsdale Mall, according to a spokesperson for the company.

The new Shake Shack location has partnered up with a local program, La Cocina. The goal of this organization is, “to cultivate low-income food entrepreneurs as they formalize and grow their business,” according to their website.

The organization allows access to affordable kitchen space and specified industry training for low-income people who are just starting out in the restaurant business. According to the Shake Shack website for the San Francisco location, they will donate 5% of the proceeds from their concrete frozen custard sales to La Cocina.

XPRESS YOURSELF “Personally it’s not about just having that one day to celebrate love. It should be an all around everyday.

It’s a great reminder to tell those who you love family and friends.”

-Lorraine Rodriguez

“You can tell right away, if you are not in the right state of mind. Especially big holidays like Christmas, Valentines day, even Mother’s day, you have to remember there are those who won’t be celebrating the traditional way.”

-Jennifer Garcia

BY CIERRA QUINTANA STAFF REPORTER

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lthough Valentine’s Day shares its name with a martyred Christian saint, according to HISTORY, many historians believe that the holiday is adjunct to the pagan holiday of Lupercalia.

Contrary to our modern holiday, Lupercalia was a “bloody, violent and sexually-charged celebration awash with animal sacrifice, random matchmaking and coupling in the hopes of warding off evil spirits and infertility.”

Connecting chocolates to death isn’t an ideal holiday, but why do we express so much love during this holiday?

Consumer and corporate officials take advantage of these holidays by shoving chocolates down our throats as a sign of love.

“ It’s a good reminder to remember to spend time with your significant other, I don’t enjoy let me buy a bunch of stuff, and all the money they profit.”

-Ian Sanders

“It’s a day when couples celebrate their love for one another.”

-Marlo Maldonado

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t Food

4•A&E

Queer comics exhibition

TUESDAY, FEB. 11, 2020 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

BY WHITNEY PAPALII STAFF REPORTER

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trut’s art program, hosted it’s monthly artist exhibition on Feb. 7, in the Castro featuring comic artist, Lawrence Lindell.

The event, “Queer Comics Saves Lives!” showcased all of Lindell’s artwork that solely focuses on the perspective of his Queer and Black experience, but also touches on important topics such as mental health.

“I feel a lot of joy,” said Lindell as he spoke to event attendees at the art showing. “It’s nice to see a lot of black and brown faces.”

The event was held at Strut, a center for the Queer community funded by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation located in the Castro and specializes in wellness and provides health resources such as HIV and STD testing.

One of the art programs at Strut, Just Art At Strut, hosts and offers various public events for the community including monthly art exhibitions that feature Queer artists. Although Strut is not an official art gallery, the art gallery committee of Strut tries its best to offer a space for Queer artists to showcase their artwork to the public.

Dylan Pem, a cinema major at SF State and editor at the Comic Arts Club, first got into comics during his youth and realized later on that the medium could go beyond the mainstream comic world of just super-

heroes. He first noticed Lindell’s comic art when he saw a Z-Fest poster made by the comic artist.

“He’s [Lindell] very comfortable using comics specifically to tell his stories and his thought process,” Pem said.”He’s visually saying something without actually saying it and that’s one of the cool things.”

When speaking about the art exhibit, Lindell mentions that he wants people to have a positive experience while looking at his work.

“I just want people to know that it’s okay to talk about mental health. And I want people to feel good, I just want people to chill and feel welcomed,” said Lindell.

Baruch Porras Hernandez, Strut’s community events manager, said that the art committee has chosen 12 artists from around the world to feature at the monthly art exhibit since 2003.

“We’ve been featuring the work of a Queer artist,”saidHernandez. “And it’s usually paintings, photography, illustrations, visual art by Queer artists that either inspires or moves or excites or you know, celebrates the Queer community.”

The art exhibition began at 8 p.m., where attendees were sent to the second floor for the art showing. The third floor and balcony were open for attendees to sit and chat as complimentary drinks and food were also provided during the event.

Hans Lindahl and Alice Harrison look at the interactive pieces of Lawerence Lindell’s show Queer Comics Saves Lives on Feb. 7 (photo by Emily Curiel / Golden Gate Xpress)

Lawrence Lindell talks with some guests that came to the opening to his art exhibit, Queer Comics Saves Lives in the Castro on Feb. 7 (photo by Emily Curiel / Golden Gate Xpress)

Originally from Compton, California, Lindell got into comics at 12 years old. In 2011, Lindell graduated from Otis College of Art and Design with a BFA in illustration and animation.The artist holds many art showings, but is currently working towards his MFA in comic at California College of the Arts graduate school.

Lindell’s parents divorced when he was 6 years old, and the cartoonist subsequently looked to comics as an escape from reality.

As someone that deals with bipolar disorder and PTSD, Lindell notes that sharing his experiences with mental health is one of the focal points within his artwork.

“I think I stay grounded because I make it for me first and for y’all second,” said Lindell. “So that way, even if you don’t like it, I’m still proud of something I made.”

Lindell also notes that most of his artwork draws inspiration from important women

in his life, including his fiancee, Breena Nuñez, who is from the Bay Area and also a cartoonist.

“I just really admire him for his originality,” said Nuñez. “It’s always a reminder on how inaccessible certain services are actually to like a greater community especially for Queer folks of color like having a space that’s safe for people to talk about mental health issues.”

As someone that lives with mental illnesses, Lindell tries to vividly recreate his thoughts and feelings through his comic art to share with the world.

“My brain works differently,” said Lindell. “There’s no one focus, intentionally.

My brain doesn’t have to be linear for it to be acceptable. It’s art and it doesn’t have to be crazy to be profound. This is my art and this is how I want to put it.”

Castro Art Walk displays local art

BY BRIANA BATTLE ART DIRECTOR

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he Castro Art Walk, a monthly event that has taken place for the last three years. On the first Thursday of each month, local artists’ work is exhibited at small businesses around the neighborhood. This month’s art walk took place on February 6.

Each month the businesses and artists that participate changes. This month, art was displayed at places like Norden Living and Ruby’s Clay Studio and Gallery.

At Ruby’s, artist Belinda Hahn’s work was displayed. Hundreds of tiles displayed hand carved portraits of missing children.

According to Hahn, who began this project 15 years ago, she wanted to give the children a permanence that a blurry picture on a piece of paper at the grocery store couldn’t give them.

“This show impresses me the most of the shows that we’ve had in the last several years,” said Kay Hefferlin, a member of the studio’s gallery committee.

Artist Simon Malvaez’s work was showcased at The Academy, a social club located on Market Street. Originally from Mexico, Malvaez said this was the first time his work had been displayed in the U.S. Each of the portraits on display Thursday night was inspired by the people in his life.

“For me, it means a lot that my first exhibit is in San Francisco,” Malvaez

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said. “But more specifically, in Castro.”

On the opposite end of the walk was The Artist’s Gallery. Joseph Titi, who has owned the gallery since 2003, said they’ve always participated in the walk since it’s inception. The gallery displays art they’ve already bought for resale rather than having outside artists exhibit there for the art walk.

Titi, who was formerly a member of the walk’s committee, said it is sponsored by the Castro Merchants Association, and businesses can only participate if they’re members of the association.

At Spark Arts, residents of the Catholic Charities Peter Claver Community displayed their works. According to the gallery’s information card, the theme for the exhibit was inner square, where the artists used a square format to “reflect their views of the outside world as well as their own inner musings.”

One of the artists, who goes by Jeanie Lamborghini, had six pieces displayed at the gallery. She made four watercolors for the show in the three days leading up to the show.

“I don’t consider myself an artist by any means,” said Lamborghini. “But I have fun doing art and I’d like to get better and the only way you can do that is by do-

ing it.”

Local Take, a gift shop tucked away around the corner from the Castro Theater, had work from multiple artists on display. They also had a table where attendees could make a felt garland for Valentine’s Day with Felt Flanerie.

Amanda Ondretti, the owner of Felt Flanerie, hand sews each of the toys, keychains, flowers, and other felt items that

she sells. Her creations can be bought at Local Take, as well as the Fog City Flea, which is held every Saturday at the Ferry Building.

“I don’t try to stick to the same things all the time so I feel like it’s always changing and ever-evolving,” said Ondretti. “That’s my favorite part of it, at least for now.”

Art displayed on the walls of Ruby’s Clay Studio on Feb. 6 (Photo by Emily Curiel / Golden Gate Xpress)

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GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG | TUESDAY, FEB. 11, 2020

Block Fest Keeps Tenderloin Creative

BY JAZZMENE LIZARDO STAFF REPORTER

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usic and tender soul of Rita Whittaker’s voice spread through Counterpulse while artist’s paint at their stations on the first Friday of the Tenderloin Block Art Festival. Placed in a small well-lit venue with red painted walls, the community, including children, are able to join in and enjoy their time making art, contributing to Counterpulse and the neighborhood.

The block festival includes live performances and art making stations inside Counterpulse, displaying pieces by artists such as Holly Wong, throughout the venue. The Tenderloin neighborhood has allowed the community to participate in art activities every first and third Friday of the month.

Counterpulse moved to the Tenderloin three years ago and started the Tenderloin Art Block Festival. “It was created to address challenges in the neighborhood, such as lack of hygiene and negative drug activities,” said Justin Ebrahimi, Counterpulses communication directory.

Local Tenderloin artists contribute to the block festival when needed. “Block fest is a way to disrupt these activities and offer something that is uplifting and creative,” Ebrahimi said.

The first Friday block fest consisted of a canvas painting station, where attendees are able to paint on small canvases, and have a view of a live performance of Proud Rita from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Other art stations that are offered are visual painting, crochet jam, silk screening, music boxes, and other creative ways that include art.

Approximately 20 or more people from the neighborhood come every oth-

People paint at the Tenderloin Walk Fest on Feb 8 2020. (Photo by Andrew Leal / Golden Gate Xpress)

er week when the festival is being held, including regulars according to Ebrahimi.

Dawn Leigh, one of the original creator activators of the block fest, started painting when she was 3 years old, but did not take her art career seriously until 7 years ago. She sat with two other participants who were painting on small canvases at the art station that were set up. Her and the two other painters were given a visual and had to recreate the paintings onto smaller canvases, and place them together Leigh says that the block fest shows people that they can participate in art activities.

“I get one or two people that are from the Tenderloin community that it’s a great way to show that they can actually do art,” Leigh said. “Whether it be fine art, or visual art, or music and they seem to respond really well to it.”

For more on block fest and other Counterpulse events, visit https://counterpulse.org/.

Sushma Kothari paints at the Tenderloin Walk Fest in San Francisco Calif., on Saturday Feb. 8 2020. (Photo by Andrew Leal / Golden Gate Xpress)

Independent filmmakers showcase work at SF

BY JEREMY JULIAN STAFF REPORTER

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wild night filled with bizarre drug-fueled trips and bright neon lights. This is the basic plotline for “The Wave”, one of the independent films showcased at the 2020 San Francisco IndieFest. The Wave was directed by Gille Klabin and stars notable actors Justin Long and Donald Faison. This film is among many others created independently with relatively small budgets at the Roxie Theater in the Mission District.

SF IndieFest is just one of many film festivals worldwide that are utilized to give a platform for smaller filmmakers and doesn’t onlyinclude feature-length films.

The festival shows dozens of films between January 29th to February 13th and includes documentaries and short films.

Eliaz Rodriguez was one of the filmmakers present for the showing of “The Wave” as he is featuring his film “Compartmentalization Storage Facility” during one of the short film segments on February 8th and 12th.

The segment Rodriguez’s film is a part

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of is called “Superfreak” and it is just one of the various short film segments that all showcase different genres, according to Fay Dearborn, a programming director for IndieFest.

Catie Roads is the Operations Manager for the festival and also works for the Roxie Theater. She said the festival has been around for 22 years and she’s been working there for 11. The Roxie Theater looks to be a prime destination for a film festival like this as they show films in different formats and usually have smaller, more independent films on display.

“We were a porn theater in the 70s which saved us, then we became an arthouse theater,” said Roads. The theater even uses projectors from nearly 100 years ago to project these independent and Festival films.

The IndieFest isn’t just about the films being shown but there are also events in different areas in the city that are a part of this festival. According to Dearborn and Roads, several events include an “Up the Oscars” Party the day of the Academy Awards and the night before included a “Bad Art Gallery” in the Mission.

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6•SPORTS

TUESDAY, FEB. 11, 2019 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

San Francisco in Looks for an MLS Spot

BY ALONSO FRIAS STAFF REPORTER

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ith the NFL and MLB in the rearview mirror, Major League Soccer starts its 2020 season with their inaugural matches on February 29th. The season starts up quickly with a total of eight teams playing on the same opening day. San Francisco will not be a city participating in this year’s MLS season.

The MLS has gone the route of expanding its league with the number of teams participating, in order to gain more of a nation-wide audience. Last year it was Cincinnati, Ohio that made the jump to professional soccer and this year two teams have been added. The MLS decided to make it a 26 team league by integrating Inter Miami CF out of Florida, which is owned by global icon and soccer star David Beckham, and Nashville SC out of Tennessee.. In order to give these teams an extra “push” they were given the number 1 and 2 picks in the MLS draft for college players.

One major component to this season was the acquisitions that important teams made. Five time MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy made headlines around the world by purchasing Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez, the Mexico National Team all-time top goal scorer for a reported $10 million fee. Hernandez joining the MLS was an important factor to the league because of his career background and media splash his name makes around the world after playing for high profile teams in Mexico, England, Spain, and Germany.

The real question after all of these new

changes is where does this leave the city of San Francisco? One major possibility is the upgrade of the semi-pro soccer team San Francisco City Football Club that competes in the USL League Two, considered to be the fourth tier below the MLS. The local FC is majorly non profit and supporter owned but this is not stopping their MLS dream. Michael Gonos, the Director of Operations for SF City FC wants to make sure these supporters are always happy and made it clear they would love to join the MLS if the opportunity presented itself.

“We are dedicated to becoming a pro team, absolutely,” Gonos said. “We want to ensure that the process of doing so does not trample on the rights of our fans.”

If supporters believe that the club is moving in the direction of being a “sell out” then they may drop their stock in the team. Gonos believes that going the supporter owned route, compared to being solely owned by private corporations, will facilitate their journey to the MLS. Gonos exclaims, “I think it a thing of genius, as it protects the interests of the fans as well as private investors, and it is designed to be flexible enough to accommodate growth. Above all, we need to remember that the reason for this club’s existence is to serve the community, not just play football.”

Although, the only way to keep these

supporters happy is by winning games.

If a team has enormous local support but isn’t winning games then it’s going to be challenging to create a push to the MLS. For the 2019 USL2 Southwest Division season, SF City FC finished 6th with a 4-7-3 record.

SF City FC must win more games and Gonos knows that.

“Given the way our club has been built, we naturally want to take a cautious approach with MLS. So, the way we intend to reach the next level of foot- Infographic by Alonso Frias / Golden Gate Xpress ball is to be the best club at this level that we can. That means achieving greater success on the pitch.”

Gonos ultimately wants to grow his footprint within the community so that “We want to grow our community the MLS executives can see the local partnerships and do more to support support and know they will have the ability to sell tickets. SF City FC currently charitable activities in the City, and plays at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, especially give local players a chance which was the first home pitch for the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raid- to live their dream and represent San ers. An MLS team must have an organic Francisco. If we are successful in this, supporter group that shows the city is interested and has soccer fans in the Bay then growth in other areas of the club Area. follows along.”

“We want to grow our community partnerships and do more to support charitable activities in the City, and especially give local players a chance to live their dream and represent San Francisco. If we are successful in this, then growth in other areas of the club follows along.”

Gonos concluded.

San Francisco City FC will announce its 2020 schedule on Feb. 28.

Gators baseball team sweeps first series of the year

BY GRADY DUGGAN SPORTS EDITOR

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aseball season is officially underway, and it did not take long for San Francisco State to get off to a hot start. The Gators had their first home series of the season and won all four games against the visiting Simpson Red Hawks. Beginning on Friday, Feb. 7, the two teams played four times and the San Francisco offense got to Simpson quickly and often, outscoring their opponent 41-10.

The Gators dominated their home opener winning 7-1 on Friday. Simpson got on the board in the first inning, but San Francisco would answer immediately. Junior first baseman Trevor Rogers quickly got SF State on the board with an RBI single that senior Jonah Gonzalez scored on.

The offense didn’t stop there for the home team. They put up two more runs in the second inning and would lead for pretty much the rest of the weekend. Although the offense made some noise, the pitching held up their end of the bargain

as well. Pitcher Jack Higgins struck out a whopping 10 batters in six innings while only giving up three hits in what would be a dominating first outing for the senior.

It was a statement San Francisco was looking to make right of the bat.

“This start to the season is great for the team,” freshman outfielder Nick Upstill told the Golden Gate Xpress. “These first four games showed people who watch Gator baseball that we have the grit and the depth to be a top contender this year.”

It is momentum San Francisco would ride for the rest of the weekend. The two teams would play in a double header on Saturday afternoon and the Gators took care of business in both games.

The first game saw the Red Hawks be down 5-0 by the time the fourth inning was over. While the Gators offense woke up ready Saturday morning, it was the pitching that controlled the game. Jordyn Eglite would start the game and throw six and one third inning of one-hit ball. Junior southpaw, Mike Manley, threw two scoreless innings and Jack Reitsma would come into close out the ninth.

Game two of the double header that wound up holding most of the excitement.

A very back and forth game that would result in San Francisco coming from be-

Nate Jenkins (30) Right Hand Pitcher, Sr. pitches in the 6th inning of a double header game against Simpson Red Hawks at SF State’s Maloney Field.on Feb 8. (Photo by Emily Curiel / Golden Gate Xpress)

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Jonah Gonzales (2) Infielder, Sr. high fives, Riley Cleary (5) Right Handed Pitcher, Jr. after Nicolas Upstill (23) Outfielder, Fr. hits a walk off single against Simpson Red Hawks at SF State’s Maloney Field on Feb 8, 2020.

(Photo by Emily Curiel / Golden Gate Xpress)

hind to win the game. The Gators were down to their final out until Jonah Gonzalez, who hit .467 with a homerun and three triples on the weekend, hit a game tying double in the bottom of the seventh. This would allow Upstill to save the day and walk it off with a single to score Gonzalez.

“I told myself before stepping in the box that losing this game isn’t an option,” Upstill said. “I saw a pitch I could drive in the outfield and just went with it and trusted my abilities.”

Upstill noted that there were a lot of other components that led to their victory other than his walk-off hit. Stating that it was a ‘team win’ with the pitching staff keeping them in it and clutch offense late in the game.

San Francisco would build off their first three wins and sweep the series in a game that was all Gator on Sunday. Their bats came alive once again and put up all eighteen runs between

the second and sixth inning. Gonzalez would put up seven RBI’s, including one three run homerun. An opening series win is a big push for a team that is hoping to make a deep playoff run this year.

“The wins this week feel great, but we still have business to take care of,” Upstill said. “It’s a long season and we’re excited for what’s in store for us.”

San Francisco will look to capitalize off a hot start to the season when they travel up to Sonoma State to take on the Seawolves on the afternoon of Tuesday, Feb 11. The Gators will then travel up to Chico State for their first conference series of the season.

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OPINION•7

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG | TUESDAY, FEB. 11, 2019

Lunar New Year brings tradition to SF State

BY PAMELA ESTRADA STAFF REPORTER

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ed dragons, fireworks and lanterns decorate the celebration along with images of the assigned zodiac animal, the rat. The Lunar New Year started on Jan. 25 and celebrations continue through Feb. 8. It is common to celebrate this holiday within a two-week span.

In the 1980s Howard Li arrived in Boston from Taiwan ready to work on his PhD. A heavy course workload kept him very busy, so making a trip back home during the middle of the school semester to celebrate the Lunar New Year was tough. During his time in school when he was away from family, the holiday was like summer without a break or studying through our most favorite western holidays. As time passed Li started a family, moved to the Bay Area and found that the Lunar New Year was best celebrated with family, as traditions are shared, and memories are created.

“As a family we try to look back to what we did back home and try to do as much as we can do here,” Li said.

According to Frederik H. Green, Associate Professor of Chinese, people take two weeks off work during which

they can celebrate with their family. Green points out that the holiday takes place during winter because China used to be and still is largely an agrarian society, so the fields don’t need as much tending.

Green further explains that the Chinese New Year like western New Year on Jan. 1 is a celebration of the New Year but in the case of the Chinese New Year it is according to the Lunar Calendar.

For students at SF State the festivities waited until the weekend of Feb. 7 to begin. Festive events created by Waves, Residential Housing Association, Residential Life and CSSA, the Chinese Student association, on campus gave great efforts in providing students with knowledge of the holiday and to feel the festivities while away from family. Yet through the efforts to celebrate the key ingredient of family is missing.

The holiday may be wrapped in lanterns, paper dragons, and Asian cuisine but on a personal level each student can find certain traditions missing from the celebration that make it real.

The holiday would not be complete without the traditional red envelopes.

It is said that married couples give envelopes to symbolize good for-

tune. The tradition has now expanded to be anyone who wishes to give a red envelope with either money or a small gift.

“It’s lucky money,” said Sean Pham, a second year SF State student, when referring to the symbolism he has given the red envelopes.

In holidays food plays a big role so there is no exception here. According to Li, there should always be left over food to symbolize bountiful groceries year-round.

“For centuries Chinese is always, well most of Chinese, are still worried about what do we have for the next meal,” Li said.

Dumplings symbolize unity and wealth, a dish that should be presented during the dining experience, bringing families together during the cooking process. Other dishes include roasted pork, whole pig, and fa gao, a Chinese cupcake-like pastry.

“But it’s not really about the food, it’s about the family being together,” said Curtis Ma, a first year SF State student.

The effort is there and the good intentions cannot be missed but as a whole there should be more of an effort to connect to family during this time. Maybe that calls for a review of possible time off to celebrate with

loved ones.

“But it’s not really about the food it’s about the family being together,”says Curtis Ma a first year SF State student.

Top: San Francisco event-goers watch the performers of the Chinese Lunar New Year Parade go by in San Francisco Market street and Chinatown on Feb. 8. (Photo by Daniel Da Silveira / Golden Gate Xpress)

Left : San Francisco event-goers set off fireworks and walk the streets of Chinatown during the Chinese Lunar New Year Parade in San Francisco Market street and Chinatown. on Feb. 8 ( Photo by Daniel Da Silveira/ Golden Gate Xpress)

Pessimism aside, voting does matter

BY KERASA DIMITRIOS TSOKAS OPINION EDITOR

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alifornia’s presidential primary is less than a month away, so if you haven’t been keeping track of the 2020 presidential candidates, this is your reminder. The last day to register to vote in California is Feb. 18 and for those who prefer to vote by mail, the last day to request a ballot is Feb. 25.

For the past four years we have had Donald Trump as president and—I’ll just say what many of us are thinking— it was a shitshow. In Trump’s first 100 days, he wrote orders to reverse many of Barack’s Obama’s policies, suspend entry of immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries, increase border security and allow the advancement of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

There have been presidents before Trump who also made questionable decisions and orders in the name of protecting the United States. However, Trump is the only president many of us have been old enough to see in office, so his orders and presidency hit home a little harder.

According to SF State’s Institutional Research, 653 undergrad students

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were 17 years old or younger during Fall 2016 enrollment. Meaning by the time it came to cast their vote for president, Donald Trump and Hiliary Clinton were their only choices—given that they turned 18 by November.

I was one of the lucky 653 students that turned 18 in time to vote. When I casted my ballot however, I believed that my vote didn’t matter since California was “so” blue.

According to Politico, 36% of California residents voted for Trump while 61% voted for Clinton. Despite what Californians think and how others see us, California is not as blue as we want to believe it is. However, making conscious voting decisions cannot happen without proper knowledge about the election—let alone politics.

“Younger people tend not to vote,” said Jason McDaniel, Associate Professor of Political Science at SF State.

“It’s not an automatic thing that when they get older they start voting, it’s just that they become more interested in voting as they get older.”

According to PEW Research,

“American adults ages 18 to 29 are more likely than any other age group to have not learned about the election.”

This might have a lot to do with the education system and its requirements. California’s Department of Education requires that all high school graduates take a mandatory three years of history/social studies.

McDaniel, who specializes in urban politics and voting behavior, believes that the voting age should be lowered to 16.

“If they [16-year-olds] develop the habits of voting earlier, while they’re learning about government in class, they might start that process of voting earlier and develop the habit earlier,” McDaniel said. “They would be more likely to vote over the course of their life.”

What does this mean for SF State students who are far beyond the age of 16 and are feeling pessimistic about their vote’s impact?

It has a lot to do with just getting out there and becoming familiar with the candidates. Luckily, we live in an era that is digital and can provide us with easy ways to see which candidates fit our views.

The NY Times created a “Quick Quiz to Match You With a Democratic Candidate” and while it only serves those who are Democrats or unsure which party to choose, it is only 10 questions and might help narrow

down which candidate to keep an eye on during primaries.

ISideWith provides voters with a more detailed quiz that allows one to be matched to any presidential candidate. Despite what party a candidate falls under, matches are based on the answers one provides to questions like; “Should the electoral college be abolished?” or “Should the government require children to be vaccinated for preventable diseases?”

It can be daunting to vote for the first time and it can be difficult to think that your vote matters but the first step is a website away.

Illustration by Siobhán Eagen / Golden Gate Xpress

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8•CITY

TUESDAY, FEB. 11 2019 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

Where tech meets art meets anarchy: Enter the Noisebridge hackerspace

BY JOCELYN HERNANDEZ GOMEZ STAFF REPORTER

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ithin the Mission District lies Noisebridge, a community run, nonprofit hackerspace open to anyone interested in the creative space and all it has to offer. This includes not only the space itself and all its resources, but weekly classes on programming, game design, art, music and laser cutting. The hackerspace has been open for 12 years and is seen as the home for underground computer culture within San Francisco.

Ait Apsea watches a movie on his laptop at Noisebridge located 2169 Mission St, San Francisco, Calif. (Photo by James Wyatt / Golden Gate Xpress)

The entrance to the space is a silver gate right next to the Mi Ranchito grocery store.

If you didn’t know about the space, it would look just like a normal gate.

The Noisebridge hackerspace runs entirely on donations and remains open during reasonable hours as long as someone is there who is willing and able to answer the doorbell. You just have to follow their one rule and you’re golden: “Be excellent to each other.”

Once someone lets you in, you go up several flights of rainbow stairs and find yourself in the 5,200 square feet hackerspace.

Inside the space no one goes by their real names, and many shared that it’s common to not learn anyone’s real name for years.

Instead, many go by a self-chosen alias.

Wheezy, a hacker at Noisebridge who chooses to work mostly with music, picked his alias from when he used to be ridiculed for constantly wheezing because he was overweight.

Splice is another hacker within Noisebridge. A game creator by trade, he has just recently begun visiting Noisebridge regularly. He said his favorite aspect of the Noisebridge space is the freedom.

“Even when I’m out in like a normal social setting I always feel like there’s some sort of like security,” said Splice as he was

splitting open a display cable for his laptop. There was a huge hole, it looked burnt

Olga Philippova uses the sewing machine at Noisebridge located 2169 Mission St, San Francisco, Calif. ( Photo by James Wyatt / Golden Gate Xpress)

through. Splice had little experience, but was enjoying tinkering with the tech and trying to learn from it.

The space includes 3D printing stations, digital audio stations and a woodworking station. The word anarchy is repeated often within the space; to this community it represents the idea that there is no hierarchy.

“Anarchy is fun,” said Tim, a regular user of the space who works in information technology. “This is one of the few spaces you can show up and whatever it’s free.”

Even the identity president of the space is kept secret to help promote the space’s value of having no one in charge.

Any one can come take a class, teach a class, take things apart and put things together or organize an event. Events held

LGBTQ+ communities represented in Two-Spirit powwow

BY EMILY CARDENAS STAFF REPORTER

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ingles from dancers’ regalia resonate around the crowd. Their beaded clothing makes a distinct noise as each performer moves. Colorful beads move in time with the music, twisting and turning with each step made. Songs are sung in Native tongues as the dancers prance and twist their bodies in ceremonial dance.

The ninth Bay Area American Indian

Bruce Beaudette and his dog attend the 9th annual Two-Spirit Pow Wow at the Fort Mason Festival Pavilion in on Feb. 8 (Photo by Saylor Nedelman / Golden Gate Xpress)

who they are.”

According to the BAAITS Facebook page, their Two-Spirit powwow embraces Indigenous traditions while also incorporating a “uniquely San Francisco experience” by embracing all genders, sexualities, etc. The powwow is a special way for Indigenous people to come together and celebrate various Indigenous cultures.

“Queer history itself tends to be whitewashed; it doesn’t just start with the Stonewall Riots, it has been here for hundreds and thousands of years with the Two-Spirit people,” said Omar Panjwani, a Two-Spirit dancer traveling from Vancouver. “No matter how colonized [the land] is, you cannot deny the history that it is on stolen land.”

The smell of burning sage filled the Fort Mason Festival Center, which contains a large hangar for powwow activities and vendor booths. Colorful beaded jewelry and custom-made pieces of silver and turquoise shone from the rays of sunlight coming through the windows of the center.

“It’s important to have a Two-Spirit powwow because it shows further our inclusivity to everyone in the Native community and especially in San Fran-

cisco. It suits the city so well, just shows how we respect people from all backgrounds, all genders, sexualities,” said Poppy Gallegos-Zingarelli, a Diné (Navajo) citizen living in the Bay Area.

“It’s always important to invite everyone to show what the Native American culture have to offer and how it can provide so much for people who aren’t of that ethnicity and people who are.”

The area outside is where powwow attendees gathered and at different Indigenous snack foods, such as frybread. The sight of fry bread--airy, soft and buttery--draws attention with it’s golden-brown color, sometimes topped with ground meat, chili, jalapenos and more.

“You get that exposure and inclusion out into the community; [celebrating Two-Spirits] is just something that happened way back when before colonization and it should be brought back to now,” said Cheyenne Garcia, from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and SF State student who danced at the powwow. “And with powwows, in general, it’s a way for the community to come together; today’s been a really beautiful day. . . don’t expect anything, just come open.”

Two-Spirit (BAAITS) Powwow, held Saturday Feb. 8th. Two-Spirit is an umbrella term for all Indigenous people to use when referring to those who identify with having two spirits in one body.The celebration has become a welcoming environment for those in the LGBTQ+ communities.

“There are a lot of powwows that happen all over the world but a lot of them aren’t inclusive to the LGBTQ+ community, including the Two-Spirit community,” said Riley Dunkle, an SF State student volunteering at the powwow. “So it’s really important for David Herrera, member of the Montana Two Spirit Society, shares a moment with his family them to have spaces where they feel com- at the 9th annual Two-Spirit Pow Wow, on Feb. 8. (Photo by Saylor Nedelman / Golden Gate fortable to express their identities and be Xpress)

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at the Noisebridge hackerspace often reflect their value of arts, technology, creative expression and anarchy such as “¡Wepa!”

Recently the community event “¡Wepa!” was held at the Noisebridge hackerspace, focusing on decolonization and the climate crisis. The event featured art shows, speakers and many live performances from a variety of artists, even some from out of state. Proceeds went towards earth justice.

The video game Watch Dogs 2 is said to have received inspiration from the Noisebridge hackerspace according to members of the Noisebridge community. Although Noisebridge’s resources are endless, this hackerspace is more

No more illegal sidewalk riding with Lime scooters

BY JOCELYN HERNANDEZ GOMEZ STAFF REPORTER ime, a transportation company known for their electric scooters, announced that it will be implementing new technology to detect when users ride illegally on sidewalks.

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If the new software detects someone illegally riding on a sidewalk for more than half the ride, it will send an in-app notification and an email to the rider that their action is illegal.

There are no penalties at this time.

Lime will implement the new software into 1,200 scooters located in San Jose and plans to expand them into San Francisco and Oakland.

“There’s no point to it if there’s not repercussions, but at the same time I feel like it’s stupid if there are repercussions,” said An Vo a Kinesiology major at SF State.

A 2020 study conducted by UCSF found that electric scooter related injuries and hospital admissions in the United States increased 222% between 2014 and 2018 and the number of hospital admissions increased by 365%.

Majority of those injured and hospitalized were between the ages of 18-35 and injuries were reported more frequently in urban areas.

“If you’re riding on the street, you’re gonna get hit by a car because people just don’t give a shit,” said Andrew Quellmalz, business major.

“It’s scary shit to be on the street.”

Another issue which has not received as much media attention is accessibility for those with disabilities. Electric-assisted scooters and bikes often crowd sidewalks in city centers, making commuting difficult for those using wheelchairs, strollers, or other aids.

In San Francisco, a majority of Lime scooters are located between the Civic Center and Financial District, and although Lime restricts the usage of scooters in certain locations and dubs them “red areas,” SF State is not one of them.

However, SF State prohibits the usage of bicycles, skateboards and scooters on campus no matter if they are motorized or not.

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