Spring 2019 Issue 9

THE STUDENT VOICE OF SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1927

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

ENVIRONMENT

Green New Deal fails to advance CARLY WIPF Staff Reporter

SF State could have been the first higher education institution to take a stance on the controversial climate change legislation known as the Green New Deal, but missed its chance when the bill died in the Senate on March 26.

The Environmental Resource Center drafted a resolution passed by the Facilities and Services Committee on March 20, which called upon the Associated Students to recognize climate change as a threat to all students. It asked the student body to join coalition organizations that supported the tentative Green New Deal to help make it a reality in Congress.

The bill was rejected on March 26 before AS could vote on the resolution.

Despite the legislation’s failure, the ERC nevertheless opened a dialogue with students about the ongoing issue of climate change.

According to last year’s report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, humans are responsible for a global temperature increase of approximately 34 degrees Fahrenheit.

The report suggests we are already seeing disastrous effects of this warming in the form of extreme temperatures, precipitation and drought.

The Green New Deal, introduced by New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, attempted to address IPCC findings, urging the federal government to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The bill outlined a series

If we don’t care about the environment, then who will?

- Bhavna Singh, Applied math major

of audacious goals to make net-zero emissions a reality, including upgrading existing industries in the U.S. to be more eco-friendly and expanding the amount of renewable power options across the country. Congress would also be responsible for addressing climate change in all new infrastructure bills.

At a local level, the Green New Deal sought to funnel money for climate disaster prevention to communities.

ERC President Monica DiLullo supported the Green New Deal and maintains a broader mission of getting other higher education institutions to recognize the importance of climate change legislation for students in particular.

ERC office assistant Harry Koepenick said low-income students are hit hardest by the consequences of climate change.

“We see higher rates of asthma, higher rates of respiratory illness in low-income communities of color because they’re likely closer to these fossil fuel extraction sites,” Koepenick said.

See CLIMATE >> PAGE 3

INFOGRAPHIC BY PAUL EICHENHOLTZ AND CARLY WIPF/Golden Gate Xpress

LAWSUIT

CSU to protect Zionist views after settlement SAHAR SWALEH Staff Reporter

California State University reached a settlement March 20 with two SF State students who sued the Board of Trustees alleging the University discriminated against them based on their religion.

A statement from the University’s Strategic Marketing and Communications department described the settlement as a move to safeguard Jewish students’ rights, but many in the campus community disagree with the terms of the agreement, which include recognizing Zionism as part of the Jewish identity, protecting pro-Zionist and pro-Israel viewpoints, hiring a Jewish Student Life coordinator, allocating $200,000 to promote viewpoint diversity and dedicating space on campus for a mural related to the viewpoints at issue in the litigation.

The University and the Chancellor’s Office declined to comment on the settlement

to Xpress, but a press release provided a brief outline of the agreement.

“The settlement brings an end to what has been a very emotional and challenging issue for all parties involved,” the University’s statement read. “This agreement builds on several activities and strategies already underway at SF State to improve campus climate and encourage more vigorous dialogue on issues of import to our diverse campus constituents.”

Just one day after the University announced the settlement, protesters assembled on the Muni tracks at the station at 19th and Holloway avenues in opposition to the CSU’s concession to recognize Zionism as part of the Jewish identity. Zionism is the movement and support for the existence of a Jewish state on Palestinian land, and protesters asserted that in welcoming Zionism to campus, CSU seeks to silence critics of the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

Student protesters were not alone in their dismay.

“As Jewish anti-Ziexcluded from the onists, we believe campus event.

“The settlement brings an this agreement to be The plaintiffs’ end to what has been a very a step backwards in first case, Mandel v. the fight for justice emotional and challenging Board of Trustees and equity at SFSU issue for all parties CSU, was dismissed and in our comin federal court with munities,” the Jews involved.” prejudice last OcAgainst Zionism and -University and the Chancellor’s Office press release tober when federal the International Judge William H. Jewish Anti-Zionist Network groups said Orrick ruled the students failed to prove a in a statement. “Zionism is a betrayal to violation of federal discrimination laws. the long history of Jewish participation in The case included allegations of discollective struggles of liberation.” crimination stemming from an April 2016 incident when an event hosted by SF Hillel SPEECH IS NOT FREE with the mayor of occupied Jerusalem, Nir The lawsuit from which the settlement Barkat, was halted by protests from the was born, Volk v. Board of Trustees CSU, student group General Union of Palestinian was brought by students who alleged SF Students.

State discriminated against the Jewish stu“Jewish students have been marginalized dent group SF Hillel during the Know Your and subject to a political litmus test for Rights Fair in February 2017. The Universi- full participation in campus life,” SF Hillel ty concluded in the wake of an investigation Assistant Executive Director Rachel Nilson last August that the group was improperly

See CSU>> PAGE 3

2 OPINON

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Xprëßß Disney continues

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

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EDITORIAL BOARD

VOL. 109, ISSUE 9 Lorenzo Morotti Editor-in-Chief lmorotti@mail.sfsu.edu Monserrath Arreola Managing & Online Editor marreola@mail.sfsu.edu Julie Parker Campus News Editor jparker1@mail.sfsu.edu

media acquisition

House of Mouse tightens grip on entertainment industry, expands empire

Paul Eichenholtz City News Editor peichenh@mail.sfsu.edu Alexis Manzanilla Lifestyle & Culture Editor amanzanilla@mail.sfsu.edu Jailene Escutia Opinion Editor jescutiachavez@mail.sfsu.edu

Lola Chase James Chan Photo Editors lchase1@mail.sfsu.edu jchan2@mail.sfsu.edu Devon Haripal Ildar Sabirov Sports Editors dharipal@mail.sfsu.edu isabirov@mail.sfsu.edu Cody McFarland Copy Editor cmcfarla@mail.sfsu.edu Christian Urrutia Art Director curruti1@mail.sfsu.edu Brian Vu Multimedia Editor bvu2@mail.sfsu.edu Tahnia Ortega Social Media Editor tortegag@mail.sfsu.edu Chelsey Schallig Assistant Copy Editor cschallig@mail.sfsu.edu

XPRESS ADVISERS Jesse Garnier Print Adviser jgarnier@sfsu.edu Kim Komenich Photo Adviser komenich@sfsu.edu

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SEBASTIAAN MOLLOY Staff Reporter

D

isney is well on its way to becoming a monopoly following the March 19 acquisition of 21st Century Fox and the 20th Century Fox movie studio for $71.3 billion.

The major media conglomerate has been trying to obtain 20th Century Fox for a couple of years now, and with the purchase, Disney will control more than 35 percent of the market share, more than any media group to date.

On Nov. 6, 2017, CNBC announced Disney was in communications with Rupert Murdoch to acquire 21st Century Fox’s entertainment studio. At the time, Comcast, the parent company of Universal, wanted to get in on the deal, offering $65 billion and creating a brief bidding war.

To put Disney’s growing media monopoly into perspective, once upon a time there were the big six: Disney, Warner

Bros, Universal, Sony/Coset prices based on their lumbia, 20th Century Fox own profit desires, and in and Paramount. With a capitalist economy that Disney’s recent purchase of desire has no ceiling.

20th Century Fox, Another Unless the remaining major concern it’s now become the big five. four media groups is that a corCollectively, the poration can collaborate in some strong-arm latter four media way, Disney’s empire other comgroups own 46 percent of the will have no competi- panies into market share and withholding tion.” smaller studios superior prodwith less than one ucts, as was percent of market share each the case with Microsoft in 1998. combine to make up the rest of Microsoft became a monopthe industry. oly and was forced to share its Disney might not be a dictioinformation publicly so competnary definition of a monopoly itors could create new products since it doesn’t control the based on the Windows operating entire media industry, but let’s system in efforts to compete. not forget that Carnegie’s steel Disney’s acquisition of Fox company and Rockefeller’s oil marks its first major bid to company didn’t control the marcompete in the streaming wars ket overnight, they did it through and a new age of entertainment. strategic acquisitions over time.

Studios can no longer rely on Unless the remaining four media annual blockbusters to garner groups collaborate in some way, safe margins of profits. TraditionDisney’s empire will have no ally, economic battles have been competition. a positive influence on econoThe consequences of this merg- mies, and greatly beneficial for er have been discussed since the consumers. The wars challenge deal’s initial proposition in 2017. corporations to produce better At that time, Disney had material at more competitive already turned into an empire prices. But wars don’t go on through the purchase of Star forever, and ultimately there will Wars and Marvel in addition be a victor. to its famous animation stuThis latest acquisition signals dios Pixar and Walt Disney. the first major attempt by Disney In 2018, Disney recorded the to step up to streaming conglomsecond-highest profits in history, erates like Netflix who pursue bringing in $7.3 billion—falling quantity over quality content. behind only its own 2016 record, And if Disney’s current track reaccording to Variety. Disney’s cord is anything to go by, Netflix film industry domination is has some terrifying competition irrefutable, and with Fox it has closing in. n become an unconquerable powerhouse.

One of the greatest concerns brought on by monopolies 20th Century Fox/Special to Golden is their Gate Xpress capability to

yourself What do you think about the Green New Deal?

Itzel Estrada, 22 She/Her Sociology Alumna

“I think the Green New Deal is very forward-thinking and I appreciate that. However, being realistic, 10 years to change the entire nation into 100 percent clean energy is difficult. “

Adrian Barrera-Velasquez, 24 He/Him Cell and Molecular Biology

“It’s a good starting point, but at the same time we’re at such an accelerated rate toward climate destruction, there’s much more we have to do. Increasing awareness and just getting a small foothold is valuable at this point.”

Wenyi Yang, 27 She/Her English

“One-by-one we are trying to spread awareness and I think this is really good, but it does need to pick up more. It’s almost 2020 and the past 10 years we have been trying to be sustainable, so by 2030 I think it’s possible, but it needs to have a bigger movement than one person.”

TWITTER @GGXnews

Victor Zhang, 20

YOUTUBE /XpressNewsVideo

He/Him Business

“In the past years there’s been pollution coming from the oil refineries, so if we can somehow try to change those oil refineries, I will be glad that the air will be cleaner and there will be less fires.”

FACEBOOK /GoXpress INSTAGRAM @GGXnews

JAILENE ESCUTIA, CHRISTIAN URRUTIA AND LOLA CHASE/Golden Gate Xpress COURTESY OF DISNEY CLIPS/Golden Gate Xpress

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TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

CAMPUS 3

CLIMATE: Bipartisan vote kills deal in Senate, leaves climate change unaddressed CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

If the resolution passed, the AS President Nathan Jones would have sent a letter to Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.

Pelosi, a veteran climate change advocate now serving her 31st year in Congress, previously dismissed freshman Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal as one of many dreams in a pool of environmental policy solutions. “[Pelosi] sort of holds all the power,” Koepenick said, “and it just so happens that she represents our district.”

The ERC’s resolution aimed to speak on behalf of all SF State students. Members collected over 200 signatures backing the initiative in a single day.

Applied math major Bhavna Singh was among the supporters who signed the petition.

“The environment isn’t just an individual problem,” Singh said. “If we don’t care about the environment, then who will?”

The ERC had a passionate action plan, but the all-encompassing language of the proposal didn’t reflect opposing student views.

“It’s not necessarily a political statement at all,” Koepenick said. “It’s just trying to get them to recognize the health and safety

impacts on students According to here at San Francisco “Everything that we are the Center for CliState.” mate and Energy seeing indicates that we Daniel Yeluashvili, Solutions, carbon a fourth-year political have to bring down capture has the science major said he emissions as soon as we potential to reduce was not in favor of the carbon emissions possibly can.”

Green New Deal and globally by 14 thinks Ocasio-Cortez -Glenn Fieldman, environmental studies associate percent. might be missing the professor SF State envimark. ronmental studies “I think it’s a good idea in theory,” said associate professor Glenn Fieldman said Yeluashvili, “but in practice, not only does none of the strategies for carbon capture it not help prevent climate change, but it come close to catching up with the damage actively exacerbates the issue.” we have done and continue to do to the Yeluashvili said a number of climate environment. Fieldman said immediately change prevention strategies, such as the reducing our carbon footprint should be a Paris Agreement and most recently the priority. rejected Green New Deal, focus solely on “Everything that we are seeing indicates reducing carbon emissions, but fail to adthat we have to bring down emissions as dress the removal of existing emissions. soon as we possibly can,” Fieldman said.

“Nobody seems to be talking about the “One of the most important things we can necessity of carbon-capture technologies,” do is get serious about building public Yeluashvili said. A number of carbon-captransit.” ture systems are already in place—mainly More than 40 percent of California’s in the U.S.—allowing the separation of emissions stem from transportation methCO2 from other gasses making up exhausts ods, according to Fieldman. that result from power and manufacturing Fieldman said the Green New Deal had plants. Once isolated from the mixture, the potential to both create and destroy carbon is stored and therefore kept out of jobs. the air.

The deal vaguely addressed workers in

the fossil fuel industry by assuring a “fair and just transition for all communities and workers,” and the creation of “high-quality union jobs.”

While it did not describe how exactly U.S. workers employed in such industries would be affected, the bill hoped to guarantee benefits, stable wages and advancement opportunities for those “affected by the transition.”

The Green New Deal goal outline provided an emphasis on hiring and training workers locally, as well as funding improved green infrastructure.

Fieldman said, despite potential problems and uncertainty, she was delighted that Ocasio-Cortez and SF State students took action. “[Ocasio-Cortez] is the first person in Congress to step up to face the issue of climate change,” Fieldman said. “I think she’s on the right track.”

The Senate thought otherwise. The resolution was rejected 57-0 with 43 Democrats voting “present,” leaving an opening for a new and perhaps simpler climate plan down the line. n

CSU: CSU acknowledges Zionism in controversial legal settlement, enrages community CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Ralston said.

The students argued that the University violated their first and fourteenth amendment rights when administrators moved SF Hillel’s event to a location away from the center of campus due to concerns for a protest, and again when police complied with a “stand down” order, allowing protesters to disrupt the event.

“The allegations do not amount to deliberate indifference nor allege sufficient impact on the education of the complaining plaintiffs,” Orrick said in his ruling.

“Plaintiffs are represented by numerous experienced counsel. They have had ample opportunities to state their Title VI claims but have not been able to do so.”

Orrick’s dismissal with prejudice prompted the students to try again in state court, represented by the Lawfare Project and the Winston & Strawn law firm, and despite the students’ failure in federal court, CSU opted to avert the state suit through a settlement.

“SF Hillel was not a party to the lawsuit,” Nilson Ralston said. “But we believe that overall the settlement will help create a more inclusive and welcoming campus environment for all students.”

As part of the settlement, the plaintiffs have agreed not to pursue the matter further.

“We were proud to represent those students and we are very pleased [with the settlement],” said David Bloch, an attorney for Winston and Strawn who represented the plaintiffs. “We think the settlement will be positive for the students at San Francisco State.”

WHO GETS WHAT? WHO PAYS? Professor Rabab Abdulhadi, director and founder of the Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas studies program, is among those concerned with the settlement.

Dr. Abdulhadi was the only faculty member named as a defendant in the Mandel case, and though her name was not included in the second suit, she said it is

little consolation.

She said she takes issue with the fact that the University has agreed to allocate funds for an educational outreach and viewpoint diversity program, yet according to her, administrators have failed to honor a contract they signed to fund AMED upon her hire in 2007.

“As a faculty member, I have been harassed and abused by SF State, including the violation of my contract,” Abdulhadi said. “Our two faculty lines have still not been reinstated. AMED has no staff and no operating budget.”

Others in the community expressed concern with how ill-defined certain aspects of the agreement are. Some of the settlement’s 13 concessions include specific details about their implementation and intent, like the creation of a coordinator for Jewish Student Life, but others are much more opaque.

“One of the big things is the question of the executive orders and how the University will reinterpret these policies in light of the settlement,” part-time AMED lecturer and SF State alum Saliem Shehadeh said.

Among the CSU executive orders to be reaffirmed based on the settlement are 1096, 1097 and 1098, which deal with the prohibition of discrimination, harassment and retaliation.

“A lot in the settlement agreement is vague, which leaves it up to the University’s discretion to do things fairly, or unfairly,” said attorney Mark Kleiman, who represents Abdulhadi. “It’s the job of anybody that’s concerned [about] free speech [on] campus and the ability to raise radical viewpoints, to take every paragraph and make the University apply it fairly and neutrally.”

DISSECTING ZIONISM Another major concern raised by many within the SF State community is the language in the settlement that appears to correlate Judaism with Zionism.

“The disturbing part of it all is [that] the equation of Jewishness and Zionism can bleed into Zionism and the support for the current policies of Israel, and neither equations are accurate,” SF State alum and

Jewish activist Alexei Folger said. “It’s the corollary which is the most dangerous of all, where anti-Zionist is somehow anti-Semitic. There are Jews that are anti-Zionist but not anti-Semitic.”

Folger said she believes the settlement between CSU and the Jewish students won’t help and will only bring on more heat—in particular, the point in the settlement that apportions a space on campus for a mural dedicated to the viewpoints at issue in the litigation.

“I don’t think it settles anything. I think the political debate will continue and it’s interesting that one of the things mentioned in the settlement was the mural,” Folger said. “When and if the mural project gets off the ground, it’s going to be as contentious as ever.”

The Jews Against Zionism and International Jewish Anti Zionist Network also oppose the mural CSU has agreed to host.

“The murals of SFSU celebrate the rich cultural and political heritage of our communities, most of which center the voices of indigenous and Third World leaders who have legacies of fighting for liberation against the dispossession of land and identity by racist and fascist forces and governments,” the groups said in a statement. “A Zionist mural would be a disgrace to their legacies. If SFSU wants a mural that honors the Jewish history of participation in struggles for our own and collective liberation then it should be created by anti-fascist, anti-racist and anti-Zionist Jews.”

Shehadeh said she thinks the settlement will have a negative impact on student life on campus, too.

“It’s going to be veered against Palestinian students and advocates on campus,” Shehadeh said. “I think they’re really trying to push a line to stifle and punish anti-Zionism and politics and organizing on campus.” n

The disturbing part of it all is [that] the equation of Jewishness and Zionism can bleed into Zionism and the support for the current policies of Israel, and neither equations are accurate.”

- Alexei Folger, SF State alum and Jewish activist

CORRECTION In the specialty section of issue Vol 109, Issue 8 published on March 19, 2019 of Golden Gate Xpress, the story placed under the headline, “1968 activists give insight into history of longest student strike,” is not the story that was intended to run.

The story that was published was “Coalitions embody need for solidarity,” by Geoffrey Scott from Volume 108, Issue 11. The Xpress deeply regrets this error. (March 20, 2019)

4 CITY

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TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

Brian Hibbs, owner of Comix Experience, stands in front of his shop on its 30th anniversary, Monday, April 1, 2019. Hibbs opened the shop on this day at the age of 21 in 1989.

JAMES CHAN/Golden Gate Xpress

Comix Experience owner celebrates 30 years of ‘doing a thing that I love’ MASON BISSADA Staff Reporter

A

t a time when movies based on comic books are grossing billions at the box office, it’s easy to forget that comic book stores are struggling to stay in business.

One popular comic shop in San Francisco defied the odds for three decades by retaining its customers and attracting many more to its world of fantasy stories on glossy pages.

Comix Experience celebrated its 30th anniversary on April Fool’s Day after opening its doors on April 1, 1989, on the corner of Divisadero and Page streets. The store’s owner and founder Brian Hibbs was barely an adult when he decided to turn his passion for comics into a career.

“I was 21 years old when I opened the store,” said Hibbs, now a bespectacled, bearded man with a lot to say—and blog—about the comics industry. “I opened the store with my personal comic book collection and a $10,000 loan, and I’ve built it into a thing that’s lasted.”

Hibbs said the store changed at least five times since it opened to adjust to the demands of the marketplace. The funky cardboard boxes of back-issue comics that collectors used to sift through like vinyl records have been replaced by walls lined with graphic novels. And unlike the cramped quarters of some shops, Comix Experience is spacious and vast. Its front windows draw potential shoppers in from across the street with flashy, well-lit displays.

“I think we’re in a pretty good spot in the city for sure,” said Comix Experience employee Emma Munger, who has worked at the store for more than five years. “Now this street is like the new Valencia. I think this neighborhood works really well. They have the hotel, so a lot of

JAMES CHAN/Golden Gate Xpress Brian Hibbs helps a customer on the 30th anniversary of his shop on Monday, April 1, 2019.

Europeans come by on their month-long journey...and they love coming in here and getting American comics.”

In addition to its aesthetics and location, part of Comix Experience’s success can be attributed to its customer interactions. The store holds a “Graphic Novel of the Month Club” for kids and adults where the staff votes on their favorite graphic novels before holding a book club with customers to discuss the story.

Hibbs seems to have connections with everyone in the industry, often bringing the creator of the novel of the month into the store or video chatting with them for the book club. Acclaimed writer Neil Gaiman held his first ever American signing at Comix Experience.

“They’ve been really dedicated and very passionate about comics and people who buy comics, but also about trying to promote good material and trying to spread the love of comics farther than just people who are already fans or have been reading since they’ve been kids,” said Nick Fowler, who shopped at Comix Experience as a kid and is now an employee.

While Comix Experience is thriving, few comic book stores in San Francisco

can say the same. Two Cats, a comic book shop in West Portal, shut its doors for good on March 26. This is just the latest in a long line of comic shop fatalities in the city.

“When I opened [Comix Experience] in 1989, there were 27 comic shops in San Francisco,” Hibbs said. “Now we have nine. I guess it’ll be eight when Two Cats closes, so that’s rough, man. Any loss at this point diminishes us all. I feel that really strongly. I wish that they’d been able to figure out a way to make it.”

Hibbs said he believes that the content and the medium itself are not to blame.

He said publishers such as DC, Image and, in particular, Marvel, put small retail stores at a disadvantage.

“Marvel has got an upper management team that is extraordinarily focused on making more money this quarter than they made the quarter before,” Hibbs said.

“No matter what. If you don’t make more money for them, you get fired.”

Though Marvel’s comics wing is struggling, their film wing is flourishing in historic fashion. Their latest film, “Captain Marvel,” currently grossed over $900 million worldwide. Last year, “Avengers:

Infinity War” brought in over $2 billion worldwide, according to the-numbers. com.

As with most retail stores, it would be easy to blame the rise of online shopping or the Amazon empire for the decline of comic shops. But graphic novels and comic books bring a certain complication with them that most other products such as clothing and even food don’t have.

“Unlike basically any other kind of retail in the world, our product has a price printed on it,” Hibbs said. “So if sales go down or if rent goes up, most stores, what they do is they start charging more money, right? Well, we can’t do that. I can’t go, ‘Oh these comics are now $8,’ it doesn’t work. People will not pay that because it literally says on the comic what it [costs].”

Despite all of these complications, Comix Experience appears to be thriving.

Hibbs even expanded his business with a second store, Comix Experience Outpost, located in Ingleside. Customers say what has kept them coming is consistency and familiarity.

“I’m pushing 50 now,” Comix Experience regular Roger Burgner said. “I remember in my early 20s...driving up with friends up here because we were comics nerds and we’d get around the Bay Area.

I remember coming here ages ago. [Now] I have a couple kids that read comics. We actually take part in the kids’ [book] club.”

When asked what she loves most about comics, Burgner’s daughter Evelyn quickly responded, “The pictures!”

Hibbs advised, “Follow the thing that you believe in and that you’re passionate about.

“I’m not rich—I’ll never be rich—but I’m doing OK for myself in a place that I love, doing a thing that I love,” he said. “I literally wake up in the morning thinking, ‘Yeah, I get to go to work!’ How many people think that?” n

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TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

CITY 5

Photos by ANDREW LEAL/Special to Golden Gate Xpress Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks on stage to a crowd during his presidential campaign rally at Great Meadow Park at Fort Mason in San Francisco on Sunday, March 24, 2019. SEE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS ON PAGE 8

SANDERS RALLY ATTRACTS HUGE CROWD CIERRA QUINTANA Staff Reporter

Thousands of people gathered at Fort Mason on March 24 to hear Sen. Bernie Sanders speak about his second bid as a presidential candidate.

Sanders wasted no time sharing his plans for the 2020 election and what his priorities would be if he gets elected. Sanders said he would take legislative action on taxes, raise the minimum wage, reform immigration policies, introduce rent control and fund public education.

“Now is the time to complete what we began. Now is the time to turn our vision and our progressive agenda into a reality,” Sanders said to the crowd.

Among Sanders’ supporters was thirdyear SF State psychology major Jennifer Garcia, who said Sanders stood for many values that resonated strongly with her own.

“As a millennial and as a student, what I want is compassion and justice,” Garcia said. “I want people to have [their] basic needs [met], such as water, food, education, feminine products and shelters. I want to have my children in an environment where they know the importance of equality, forgiveness, [hard work], being humble and always standing up for what’s right.”

Garcia said her family’s struggles with poverty and immigration gave her motivation to continue her studies at SF State, something she feels privileged to do since she was born in the U.S. “I’m on my way to becoming the first person in my whole family from both sides to graduate from college,” Garcia said.

Garcia said the hostility toward immigrants since President Donald Trump was elected angered her since many of her relatives faced adversity coming to the U.S. “Both of my grandparents migrated to the U.S. for better job opportunities and

then went back to Mexico to take care of their children,” Garcia said. “They wanted to give their children a better life so they went back to the U.S., but due to their immigration status and poverty, none of my [family] even graduated high school because they had to work to keep up with living [here].”

Sanders stance on immigration is one of the reasons Garcia plans on supporting him, in contrast to Trump’s treatment of immigrants.

SF State kinesiology major Mary Diane Orillaza said, given the chance, she will be voting for Sanders in the upcoming election for the same reasons as Garcia.

“His stance for equality, for not only education but for immigration as well, will help us not become so separated,” Orillaza said.

Sanders criticized the anti-immigrant sentiments he said have been on the rise since Trump was elected.

“Hate crimes are at an all-time high right now since Trump has been in office,” the senator from Vermont said. “We need to come together at this hard time and become a unit.”

Hate crimes increased by 17 percent in 2017, with 7,175 hate crimes reported that year compared to 6,121 in 2016. The majority of hate crimes targeted victims based on their ethnicity followed by religion, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program.

SF State biology graduate Valerie Escobar said she believes Trump is to blame for the recent rise in hate crimes.

“I think hate crimes have never stopped and have been happening every day, but we see it more often now since Trump has become the president,” Escobar said.

During the rally, Sanders addressed his younger supporters and said he would be focusing on raising wages, lowering tuition and supporting rent control.

“Some of you have to work two to three

jobs just to pay the bills or put food on the table while others have no intention “Now is the time to to work,” Sanders said to the crowd. complete what we began.

Sanders fought for raising the minimum wage during his presidential run Now is the time to turn our in 2016, a position he said he intends on vision and progressive agencontinuing for the 2020 election. Sanders da into a reality.” said wages have not kept up with the cost of living across the nation, especially -Sen. Bernie Sanders, Democratic presidential in California. candidate In 2016 more than 2 million Californians between the ages of 25 and 64 were considered impoverished despite working full-time or part-time jobs, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.

“It should be easier for people to go to school, it should not be this expensive.

[There should] also be an easier way for people to become a citizen as well,” Escobar said. “It’s too expensive to live in SF anymore.”

American workers have not seen their wages keep up with increased productivity, with a 77-percent increase in productivity compared to a mere 12.4-percent increase in hourly pay since 1973, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

Sanders said increasing wages would allow “Americans to spend their income more freely on goods and services like clothing, electronics, entertainment and recreation, alleviating the burden of college tuition,” which would have “a positive impact on the economy of the United States.”

Sanders faces steep competition against other 2020 Democratic presidential contenders such as Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Kirsten Gillibrand, among others.

Sanders previously lost the Democratic Party nomination for president to Hillary Clinton in 2016, much to the disappointA crowd of supporters cheers as Bernie ment of his supporters that year. n Sanders speaks during his first

San Francisco presidential campaign rally Sunday, March 24, 2019.

6 CAMPUS Professor, disability rights activist dies GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

JOSEPH HIGH Staff Reporter

Anita Silvers, celebrated philosopher, disability activist and SF State professor of over 50 years, died March 14 of pneumonia. She was 78.

Silvers was known nationally as an advocate for social justice and for people with disabilities. She was a childhood polio survivor and used canes and a wheelchair throughout her adult life, prompting her to fight to make college campuses accessible for those with disabilities.

Silvers taught philosophy at SF State beginning in 1967 and remained active in the University community until the end of her life.

She was a renowned philosopher of ethics and aesthetics and in 1980 was appointed to the National Council on the Humanities by President Jimmy Carter.

“She was a fierce advocate for a lot [of] different things including disability [and] student access,” said Ásta, the associate chair for SF State’s philosophy department. “She was active in protests when the College of Ethnic Studies was formed. All of her advocacy was for other people.”

Peter Radcliffe, who was the president of

the SF State College’s Federation of Teachers during the Third World Liberation Front strikes in the late 1960s, said Silvers supported faculty strikes during the protests, which sought representation for communities of color in the classroom.

“She raised funds for us by contacting national organizations that might be sympathetic to the aims of the strike,” he said. “As a result of the fundraising we were able to offer strike pay both to faculty and to teaching assistants.”

Silvers also served on the advisory committee for SF State’s Longmore Institute on Disability, a post she held until her death.

The institute’s associate director, Emily Smith Beitiks, said she was impressed by Silvers’ ability to combine activism with academia in her work.

“She struck me as one of those rare scholars who is so well-versed and able to do this high theory and simultaneously always doing the on-the-ground fighting,” Beitiks said.

Beitiks saw Silvers’ work creating campus accessibility at SF State as a model for other schools.

“So many more people knew about disability and knew to think of it as part of this campus’ social justice mission,” Beitiks said.

“[SF State] was really a leader in what access can look like in ways that go beyond the bare minimum.”

Silvers was known to be extremely ambitious in her advocacy work, and she was especially driven by compassion.

“She could commandeer a conversation and at the same time listen to everybody and make it a good experience for all and a positive outcome,” said Bruce Wolfe, who worked with Silvers to fight for greater accessibility on campus and throughout the CSU system.

“You wanted to be on her side. It was hard to go up against her,” Ásta said. “But she was a formidable ally.”

Professor Sandra Rudnick Luft, who taught in the humanities department from 1962 until 2017, marched with Silvers during the Third World Liberation Front protests in the late 1960s. She also taught philosophy courses while Silvers was the department chairperson.

“You couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by her intelligence,” Luft said. “Not just book-learning, but a sensitivity and enthusiasm and energy for whatever she was doing or thinking, and an openness to other people’s ideas.”

Silvers continued serving the University community with the same commitment

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

SILVERS even after retiring from teaching. Mere days before her death she met with her thesis advisee Theodore Davis for more than three hours to discuss his graduate work.

“She was excited and making plans for the project,” Davis said. “I would describe her as a force of nature.”

Beitiks reflected on Silvers’ pioneering career and impact on the University.

“She came here as a professor with a disability at a time when there was very little in place to think and talk about that,” Beitiks said. “She knew this campus in amazing ways.

The institutional memory that is lost with Anita’s passing is quite sad.” n

University outreach expands to help students apply for CalFresh Health Promotion and Wellness receives additional funding to fight food insecurity SEBASTIAAN MOLLOY Staff Reporter

SF State’s Health Promotion and Wellness department expanded its outreach program to tackle food insecurity on campus by screening students for CalFresh eligibility thanks to recent government funding boosts.

CalFresh, the state’s version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, provides people with low-income free money for food, but there are different requirements for student applicants and many don’t qualify.

According to Interim Assistant Director for Basic Needs Initiatives Jewlee Gardner, many students are unfamiliar with CalFresh and even fewer are approved. Generally, simply being a student disqualifies CalFresh applicants, barring a handful of exemptions, and the HPW department works to screen students for those exemptions to streamline the process of providing nutritional aid to those dealing with food insecurity.

“At its core, [CalFresh] disqualifies students automatically, unless you meet a couple circumstances,” Gardner said. “We’re trying to let students know about this program and see if they fit into one of the qualified exemptions.”

Usually to qualify for CalFresh, an applicant who is the sole member of a household must make under $2,024 a month, but students must meet other requirements.

They need to work at least 20 hours a week or have been approved for federal work study and anticipate working during the semester. Students can also qualify for CalFresh as parents of dependent children in need of childcare, or if they are under 18 or over 49 years of age.

A 2018 Study of Student Basic Needs conducted by the Chancellor’s Office found 46.8 percent of students surveyed reported experiencing food insecurity, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture defines as a lack of available financial resources for food.

A 2017 study published in the academic journal Advances in Nutrition that followed 859 freshman across eight American universities found that students who experienced food insecurity were more likely to experience depression, anxiety or perceived stress, and generally had lower grade-point averages than their unaffected peers.

Part of HPW’s mission is to combat such food insecurity among students, but Gardner said prior to California Senate Bill 85, which allocated over $2 million to CSU’s Basic Needs Initiatives last June to address food insecurity, and a CalFresh Outreach Grant from CSU Chico Center for Healthy Communities, HPW was a small program.

“We had two interns working only 10 hours a week,” she said.

“This semester with our expansion we have served 96 students in person in the first five weeks of service.”

As recently as last semester HPW was only open seven of the semester’s 16 weeks, during which they helped 40 students, but the influx of funds has supported training 17 new student-volunteers and increased hours of availability. Gardner expects the center to remain open 12 weeks this spring.

Maria Gutierrez, a 23-yearold health education major and volunteer at the HPW, told Xpress one of the primary goals of the new outreach initiative is to reach more people to see whether they qualify for CalFresh.

Through a basic screening, volun-

SOURCE: CSU BASIC NEEDS INITIATIVE/ SEBASTIAAN MOLLOY/Golden Gate Xpress

teers determine if students should apply to CalFresh or if they should instead be redirected to other food aid services.

“We want to know if they qualify [because] there’s exemptions like age [and] income,” Gutierrez said.

Gardner explained that the purpose of screening students is to save time. If HPW is aware of a student in need, and that student doesn’t qualify for CalFresh, HPW can instead get them nutritional assistance through other programs around campus.

Among the alternatives to CalFresh for students is Gator Groceries, which is a free program run

by Associated Students that allows

students to pick up seven daysworth of groceries including fruits, vegetables and dry goods from the Food Pantry every Monday, and individual meals and snacks from the Food Cupboard Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Ray Gillard, a 24-year-old undeclared major, went through the HPW screening process for CalFresh and was told he may qualify for one of the exemptions.

“They asked me about rent and stuff,” Gillard said. “I hope I qualify.

I still need to wait for an official phone call.”

CalFresh applications are processed by the county an applicant resides in, and Gardner said a

county worker usually calls within 10 days of the submission of an application.

“It’s really important to take that call,” Gardner said. “If students miss it, their case will be denied and they’ll have to apply again.”

If approved, the county mails the applicant an Electronic Benefit Transfer or EBT card within 30 days.

“California really wanted to rebrand this program to destigmatize it, normalize it,” Gardner said.

“When you go to the grocery store, someone pulls out their debit card to pay for their groceries, you pull out your EBT card. It looks the same, it feels the same.” n

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SPORTS 7

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

Week in Review

Kennedy Hardemion, 21, biology major, practices the hurdle on April 1, 2019.

Gator athletes stay active through spring break ILDAR SABIROV Sports Editor

It was an eventful spring break for Gator athletics, with many track and field athletes setting personal bests, baseball losing the top spot in CCAA standings and softball’s underwhelming performance at the Stanislaus State Tournament of Champions.

WOMEN’S & MEN’S TRACK Track athletes had a rather busy weekend as the women’s team competed in both the Mike Fanelli Classic at Chabot College and the Stanford Invitational at Stanford University.

Many of the athletes on the women’s team clocked season-high marks, including senior runner Alexis Henry, whose personal best time of 24.31 seconds in the 200-meter event was good enough for fourth in the nation at NCAA Division 2.

Senior jumper Devanique Brown hit the second-best measure of 12.03 meters at triple jump, which was also a personal-best and lifted her to the 15th spot in the national rankings.

Senior Jazmine Smith placed fifth at the 400-meter event, crossing the finish line in 54.78 seconds.

Although junior runner Bibiana Enriquez could not make top-30 at the 1500-meter event with her time of 4:39.16 minutes, it was still good enough for the fifth-best time in Gator history, landing her a Gator of the Week honor, according to the official SF State Athletics website.

Men’s runners, while unable to match the women’s team’s pair of top-10 finishes, did land some solid performances at the Mike Fanelli Classic.

Freshman runner Jake Garrissere nabbed a top-30 finish at the milerun event with a time of 4:41.70 minutes, and freshman runner Joey Manahan finished with a top20 time at the two-mile run.

BASEBALL Gators baseball jumped out in

front and maintainted control of CCAA up until last week, but they saw their reign over the CCAA slip to UC San Diego over the spring break.

They are coming off a split fourgame away series against the Cal State LA Golden Eagles, and they took a 14-3 drubbing from Cal State LA in the final matchup.

With 12 errors over the span of four games, the Gators constantly found themselves in troubles of their own making. Five of those errors came in the final tilt with LA. Errors have been hampering the Gators quite a bit lately, and they rank second worst in the CCAA with 50 on the season, only six fewer than the Golden Eagles.

As the Gators prepare for a weekend three-game home series starting Friday, April 5, defense is on the team’s mind.

“Defense will always be a focus of our practice plans,” SF State coach Tony Schifano said.

Some defensive tuning would make the top-three CCAA batting squad even more dangerous.

SOFTBALL The Gators started out the 2019 Tournament of Champions at Stanislaus State with a very dominant 11-4 opening victory against Simon Fraser University.

But they did not have the same success against the fifth ranked NCAA Division II squad Concordia, losing the battle 7-1. The Gators followed the defeat by dropping another game to Western Oregon 4-2, before finding their way back to another victory against Hawaii Pacific, beating the Sharks 7-3.

To close out their tournament-play, the Gators lost a close one to Dominican University of California, 6-5, squandering a 5-0 lead that they carried into the sixth inning. Dominican University started its comeback in the bottom of the sixth, took hold of the lead in the seventh and never relinquished it. n BRIAN VU/Golden Gate Xpress

BASEBALL vs. CSU Los Angeles Series 1.

2.

3.

4.

Valencia Fortenberry, 18, criminal justice major, starts a hurdle run during practice on April 1, 2019.

Friday March 29 vs Cal State LA LOSS 9-3 @ Reeder Field, LA. Saturday March 30 vs Cal State LA WIN 4-3 @ Reeder Field, LA. Saturday March 30 vs Cal State LA WIN 5-4 @ Reeder Field, LA. Sunday March 31 vs Cal State LA LOSS 14-3 @ Reeder Field, LA.

TRACK AND FIELD KEY RUNNERS

SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS RESULTS 1.

2.

3.

4.

Friday March 29 vs Fraser University WIN 11-4 @ Turlock Sports Complex.

Saturday March 30 vs West Oregon LOSS 4-2 @ Pedretti Sports Complex.

Saturday March 30 vs Hawaii Pacific WIN 7-3 @ Pedretti Sports Complex.

Sunday March 31 vs Dominican LOSS 6-5 @ Pedretti Sports Complex.

•

• • •

Alexis Henry: Clocked 11th in 200 meter event at Stanford Invitational. (24.31 seconds.) Top-four time in NCAA Division II. Devanique Brown: Clocked 2nd in triple jump event at Stanford Invitational. (12.03 meters.)

Bibiana Enriquez: Clocked the fifth-fastest 1500-meter event in Gator history. (4:39.16 minutes.)

Jake Garrissere; Clocked 26th at the mile event at the Mike Fanelli Classic. (4:41.70 minutes.)

8 CITY

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TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019 Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders draws a crowd of people for his 2020 presidential campaign rally at Great Meadow Park at Fort Mason in San Francisco on Sunday, March 24, 2019.

Photos by ANDREW LEAL/Special to Golden Gate Xpress

BERNIE ENTICES AUDIENCE IN SF AT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RALLY

TOP RIGHT: Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks and gestures on stage during his presidential campaign rally at Great Meadow Park at Fort Mason in San Francisco on Sunday, March 24, 2019.

LEFT, TOP & BOTTOM: Supporters listen on and cheer as Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks at the podium on his campaign trail for the 2020 presidential election at Great Meadow Park at Fort Mason in San Francisco on Sunday, March 24, 2019.