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STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER PROUDLY SERVING THE SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SINCE 1927.
// 01.30.12
VOLUME LXXXXIV ISSUE 1
PERCUSSION: Andrew Baird, 22, drummer of local death metal band Fallujah practices his drums at his house in Danville, California. Baird was diagnosed with testicular cancer a year ago and is now in remission and doing well. Photo by Andy Sweet
Drummer Beats Drums, Cancer by Kristen Martz
kmartz@mail.sfsu.edu
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ndrew With the support of his fans and Baird, bandmates, the drummer of a drummer of a local local death metal band overcame death metal the biggest obstacle of his life band Fallujah, was diagnosed “I remember going out, grabbing a with cancer a year ago at age 21. Almost bite to eat, went home, I ate and then I got instantly, the daily worries of the average a phone call from my urologist basically young adult disappeared as Baird and his saying ‘We have some bad news for you. bandmates realized he was now fighting You have cancer… you have testicular for his life. cancer,’” Baird said. “The immediate “I honestly thought nothing was emotion that followed wasn’t me being wrong. I was incredibly healthy, probably sad or crying, I was angry. Like, of all in the best health of my life,” Baird said, who spent his days working out and drum- things, why this?” While a cancer diagnosis is more comming with his band, fronted by vocalist mon for the elderly, adolescents and young and SF State student Alex Hofmann. adults 15 to 39 are much more likely to be After a routine check-up, doctors bediagnosed with cancer than children under gan to worry about a growth and conductthe age of 15, according to the National ed a few tests. The results came back as Cancer Institute. Testicular cancer is one stage two testicular cancer. of the more common types of cancer seen
Queer Resource Center set to open after delays
by Joe fitzgerald | jfitzger@mail.sfsu.edu
Cassidy Barrington calls opening party the next day on the Inland Empire the “bible Malcom X Plaza at noon. Barbelt” of California. Growing rington will be at the helm as its up there she first started to first director. explore her sexuality and Housed on the second floor of her queer identity by joining the Cesar Chavez Student Center her high school’s Gay in room M-109, the resource Straight Alliance — brave center is funded by the Associatin an area that was also ed Students, Inc. The center will home to the violent “white offer a lending library, a referral Aryan resistance.” database for on and off-campus “It was a constant fight resources for LGBTQ students, a for queer visibility, and for map of gender-neutral bathrooms barrington tolerance,” Barrington said. At the end on campus, and will hold forums and conof high school, she came out of the ferences on topics like queer identity. closet to her father, who didn’t talk to But more importantly, Barrington wants her for a month afterward. the Queer Resource Center to offer a sense of The 23-year-old graduate student in sexualcommunity. ity studies said her experiences inspired her to “I definitely felt safe (at SF State),” she said. become the director of a safe place for LGBTQ “But just because you don’t feel unsafe, doesn’t students at SF State. mean you feel connected.” The University’s first Queer Resource Center SEE SIZE ON PAGE 3 will open its doors Feb. 6. It will host a grand
in adolescents. After dealing with the initial shock and anxiety, Baird had to tell his family, friends and bandmates. “When he told me, I was in utter disbelief. This was before we were about to go on our biggest tour at the time. I couldn’t believe it, it was the worst timing possible. I kept thinking ‘My close, good friend has to go through this ordeal now, and we don’t know the outcome,’” Rob Maramonte, guitarist of Fallujah, said. Soon after, Baird’s treatment process began, which included tumor removal surgery and a round of chemotherapy. Baird credits support from his bandmates for his ability to cope. “They saw me go through all the phases of losing my hair, those nights where I was constantly puking and no sleep, and the days where I was feeling SEE MARCHING ON PAGE 6
Tuition increases at a potential halt by Lindsay oda | loda@mail.sfsu.edu
The California State University system plans to keep tuition at its current rates for the Fall 2013 semester after Gov. Jerry Brown released a state budget proposal allocating an additional $125.1 million for CSUs Jan. 10. The CSU board of trustees asked Brown and state legislature for $371.9 million in the fall of last year. Brown responded to the request with an additional $125.1 million for CSU funding as well as another $125 million to fund tuition roll-backs mandated by Proposition 30. CSU campuses will each receive a portion of the $125.1 million if the budget proposal is approved by the state legislature. Campus administrators decide what the new budget money will go toward. “We are very grateful for the $125.1 million,” CSU spokeswoman Stephanie Thara said. “This year‘s (budget proposal) signals Gov. Brown is making a reinvestment in higher education.” SEE PROMISES ON PAGE 11
2 CAMPUS
01.30.13 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
SF STATE SPEAKS OUT WHAT’S YOUR SUPER BOWL TRADITION?
ERICA GRATTON, 18
HEALTHY TIPS: SF State international student and accounting major from China, Xue Zhou, 28, gets a flu shot at the Student Health Center on campus last Friday, Jan. 25. The health center is advising students to come in and get a vaccination to avoid the flu epidemic this season. Photos by Jessica Worthington
POLITICAL SCIENCE MAJOR
I guess my favorite football tradition is having all my brothers, older friends and football friends come over to the house.
Record setting flu season set to hit Northern California
by ELLIE LOARCA | emloarca@mail.sfsu.edu
JESSICA GAMINO, 21 PSYCHOLOGY MAJOR
My favorite Super Bowl tradition is watching the puppy bowl and the kitty halftime show.
JONATHAN BLOCH, 21 MARKETING MAJOR
I would have to say my favorite football tradition is the food obviously. My sister makes some mean ribs.
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think that’s enough,” Sophie Calzada, a levated flu Campus health advocates business marketing major, activity has suggest that students stay home 23-year-old said. reached a wideAccording to the San Francisco spread level and if symptoms are present Department of Public Health, practicwith the peak of ing healthy habits will help prevent the flu season the spread of the seasonal flu. Recomapproaching, the said. mendations consist of washing hands importance of flu Surveillance indicators have shown an frequently, coughing and sneezing into the safety is at an all-time high. increase in flu-related illness in the state elbow and not going into public spaces if With the spring semester starting in the and the California Department of Public experiencing flu-like symptoms. midst of the epidemic, taking the proper Health warns that it is not too late to get a Influenza is a respiratory disease caused precautions can keep students healthy. flu shot, especially considering the feroby viruses and, unlike a common cold, they “Usually the way that it comes is from ciousness of this strain. appear more suddenly. Infected people may the east because the flu spreads easier in “The best defense against the flu is experience all or a few of the following cold weather, but it’s generally unpredictgetting vaccinated,” Dr. Ron Chapman, symptoms: sore throat, runny nose, fever, able when it will hit a certain place. Califorstate health officer of the CDPH, said. “Our chills, body aches and sometimes an unsetnia was one of the last two states to report flu season may not peak for a few weeks tled stomach. the flu virus,” Alastair Smith, director of so I encourage everyone to get vaccinated Sociology major Laura Davila recently student health services at SF State, said. to protect themselves and those they come had a sore throat and is worried she might This season the strain is called H3N2 into contact.” be getting sick. and has hit roughly 47 states with high It is advised that everyone, especially “I work downtown. There are people levels of infection. According to the Centers those with asthma, diabetes or other high from all over the world coming in and I’m for Disease Control, about 6,000 people narisk factors, get vaccinated. afraid I might get the flu from them. You tionwide have been hospitalized due to this Despite flu warnings, some students never know,” Davila said. virus and about 50 percent of those reported feel undisturbed and would rather not get The flu can last anywhere from a few cases were people under the age of 65. the vaccination. days to two weeks with some people suf“The flu changes every year, some “I don’t believe in the flu shot. I drink fering complications resulting in pneumoyears are better, some are worse. This one nia or an ear infection. just happens to make people sicker,” Smith a carton of orange juice everyday and I
The water’s fine, so jump in to our new SF State culture and lifestyle blog, The Swamp! Online ive exclus Aracely Diaz, 23 SOCIOLOGY MAJOR
I don’t have Super Bowl traditions, I usually just go shopping because I don’t understand football. I don’t get it, so I keep myself Photos by: Virginia Tieman Reporting by: Wyatt Mccall
theswampsf.org
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CAMPUS 3
| 01.30.13
Bigots, witchcraft and the QRC! Hear the X-clusive podcast online
Size matters at new campus LGBTQ center Continued from PAGE 1
The planning process for the resource center “I think for SF State to not have their started in the Winter of 2011. Abel Gomez, an ASI own space (for a resource center), makes representative, and others from the school’s queer it important for them to think about what community led the charge for its creation. The they’re saying,” Worley said. planning was anything but easy. The center’s hiring But no matter the size, Worley plans process drew criticism from the queer community, on recommending SF State’s new Queer notably from Katie Tims, who was secretary of the Resource Center to all of her students that school’s Queer Alliance at the time. transfer from City College. She was im“This meeting is to kind of push the adminispressed at the tenacity it took for Gomez, tration into actually making this about students and Barrington and the community at SF State hiring people that reflect the needs of all students,” to create their own safe space for queer Tims told Xpress last September, after representastudents of all stripes. tives of the queer student community met with two Dean of Students Joseph Greenwell ASI representatives to air their grievances. wasn’t able to say definitively if the resource “Many present at the (unveiling) felt (the hiring center could get more space in the future. process) was very homogenous, homonormative if “I believe that ASI will work with you will,” Tims said. and review the program’s needs as it does Homonormativity refers to the feelings of some with all of their programs and resources,” in the gay community that in order to assimilate Greenwell said. “I have also reached out to with straight culture, gay culture was slowly the new director to offer support as a new close quarters: Director, Cassidy Barrington sits with students in the Queer Resource becoming more “straight,” or “normative,” as opcenter on campus. I look forward to future Center’s office that is shared with ASI Eros in the Cesar Chavez Student Center. Photo by posed to having distinct gender identities. collaborations as we continue to enhance Gabriella Gamboa Barrington made addressing homonormativity the student experience at SF State.” one of her first priorities. Gomez acknowledged that they won’t be fer Worley, says this may limit what they can accomplish. “I feel some of the concerns were valid,” she able to do everything they want in a single “We (also) started in a tiny room in our student said. In response, she’s planning a series of forums semester.“We are very, very far behind other universiunion,” Worley said. “First of all, it would feel really on homonormativity for the inaugural semester of the ties,” he said. crowded with even ten people in the space.” resource center. Notably, University of San Francisco, City College of Originating in the 1990s, City College’s Queer Re“I was not aware of the fact that they will be addressSan Francisco, UC Berkeley, and San Jose State Univering this issue and I am very pleased to hear it,” Tims said. source Center was eventually upgraded to a larger, multi- sity all have long-established LGBTQ resource centers. room office space with computers, printers, a kitchenette In fact, Tims said she was pleased on the final choice. Looking to the future, Gomez said he would like SF and many student workers. Ultimately, the biggest problem the new resource State’s resource center to offer scholarships or a workOnce they had a larger space, the resource center center faces may have nothing to do with gender politics. space for people to just hang out. at City College saw its attendance jump from 60 to 70 The new resource center has a severe lack of space. For now, SF State’s first Queer Resource Center will students a day. With the Queer Resource Center limited to a single focus on workshops, connecting queer services on camWorley said the lack of space may even send a negaroom, an advisor to City College of San Francisco’s pus and holding more queer events like Queer Yo Mind tive message to the campus’ queer community. Queer resource center and CCSF English professor, Jenniwhich fits their goals of educating the community.
4 CITY by erin dage
erindage@mail.sfsu.edu
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01.30.13 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
City employees rack up millions in overtime
oubling one’s salary in overtime hours is a dream for some — but for a few San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency workers, it is a reality. According to the San Francisco Controller’s Office, which oversees the city’s accounting and auditing, a handful of SFMTA employees made more than $100,000 in overtime alone. One SFMTA electronic maintenance technician more than doubled their $106,000 base salary by working more than 1,900 overtime hours — earning an additional $163,795 for overtime. SFMTA spokesman Paul Rose sees overtime as a necessity for the transit agency to thrive. “For a transit agency of this size, overtime is sometimes needed to function,” Rose said. Though the transit agency may be giving generous overtime, it comes at a cost. The Annual Overtime Report, released Jan. 3, found that city departments such as SFMTA, the fire department, and the police department, caused the city to go $18 million over budget for the distribution of overtime in the 2011-12 fiscal year. SFMTA topped the list as the department that overspent the most, going 60 percent over its overtime budget.
SFMTA employees aren’t the only city workers topping the list for large amounts of overtime. In the Annual Overtime Report, it was found that 863 city workers exceeded overtime limits. SFMTA came in first place with 510 workers breaking the administrative code, which dictates city employees cannot work more than 25 percent of their scheduled hours as overtime. The San Francisco Fire Department came in second with 292 employees exceeding overtime limits. SFFD spokeswoman, Mindy Talmadge, finds that more employees are forced to work overtime in the fire department due to a large influx of retiring workers. “Coupled with numerous retirements, the mayors over the last several years have required all city departments, including the fire department, to cut their budgets in the face of the economic downturn,” Talmadge said. “Nearly 90 percent of the fire department budget is spent on salaries so we were not able to hire new firefighters to replace those that retired at a fast enough pace to cut the amount of necessary overtime.” According to Rose, SFMTA plans on hiring more employees for the positions that had thousands of overtime hours logged in. “To reduce the amount of overtime working and to manage the budget, SFMTA is hiring additional workers,” Rose said. “For example, SFMTA is hiring workers
$35.3 million 10-11 in overtime budget
for the same position for the individual that made over $100,000 in overtime rather than sitting at a point.” Joyce Gu, an 18-year-old San Francisco resident, rides Muni daily. She believes that hiring more employees is the right thing to do — as long as there is improvement within the transit agency. “It’s wrong to put all the work on one person, and if there were more people getting the chance to work, maybe Muni would run better,” Gu said. “Right now Muni isn’t running well and it would be nice to have better service.” Though SFFD does not have an exact plan to offset overtime, the department has made the commitment to hire more employees and prevent the impact of many employees going into retirement at the same time. Talmadge sees high overtime hours as an indicator that something may need to change for the San Francisco city departments that landed on the Annual Overtime Report — such as SFMTA and SFFD. “There is a point when overtime hiring becomes counterintuitive,” Talmadge said. “There is no hardfast number because there are so many variables, but when a department gets to the point of requiring employees to work mandatory overtime it is a good indicator that it would be a good time to start the hiring process.”
$33.5 million $54.3 million
11-12 in overtime budget
10-11 in actual overtime
$55.7 million 11-12 in actual overtime
Source: the office of the Controller of the City and County of San Francisco
HARD AT WORK: For the 2011-12 fiscal year, some San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency employees made more than $100,000 in overtime alone and there are plans to hire more employees for the positions with thousands of logged overtime hours. Photo by Virginia Tieman
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CITY 5
| 01.30.13
by Brian Rinker | brinker@mail.sfsu.edu
DISPOSED: Pharmacists like Tony Bastian of Joe’s Pharmacy on 16th and Geary are the only people that have access to old medication once it’s disposed of. Photo by Erica Marquez
In response to a mounting body of evidence that says pharmaceutical waste is ending up in our drinking water and polluting the environment, San Francisco has instituted a new program offering people safe, easy and free ways to dispose of their unused medicines. San Francisco, through the Department of the Environment and the Public Utilities Commission, insti-
Drug disposal program to reduce pollution, abuse tuted the Safe Medicine Disposal pilot program to give residents the new option of disposing their unwanted medication in a free and environmentally, friendlier way. In its first nine months, the program has already collected more than 10,000 pounds of unused medicine for disposal. Project leaders are calling it an early victory beyond many of their expectations. “It’s a very efficient and successful program,” Ryan Jackson, residential toxics reduction associate for SF Environment and the program’s lead, said, adding that the proof is in the disposal. The Safe Medicine Disposal program began in April and will run until June when its funding runs out. Supporters hope the pharmaceutical companies, who picked up the initial tab of $110,000, will fund the pilot program for another year. Otherwise, Board of Supervisors president David Chiu will pursue legislation that will force the pharmaceutical companies to pay for prescription drug disposal programs. “It’s a real logical program,” Jackson said. “People don’t want excess medicine around that can be accidentally misused or abused.” A health concern for the drug disposal program is the prescription drug abuse epidemic. The stockpiling of drugs can lead to accidental overdose and increased abuse opportunities. In 2009, 91 percent of unintentional poisoning deaths in the U.S. were caused by prescription pain drugs, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Prescription drug related overdose rates have tripled since 1990. Dr. Phillip Coffin, director of substance use research at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, said prescription drug abuse is a priority that concerns the health department, and they have seen prescription opiate overdose deaths increase as high as fivefold. “Prescription opioid related deaths have gone from so low we didn’t count them,” Coffin said, “to 120 deaths a year.” Since the 1990s, the city has struggled to devise a working drug disposal program that was cost effective for both the city and residents.
At first, project leaders didn’t know what to expect as the pilot program got underway. The success was dependent on residents actually using the drop boxes, despite years of contradictory advice. “We had to reeducate the residents one at a time,” Jackson said, adding he gets calls “each day from residents who are unfamiliar with the pilot program collection network, but simply have a hunch that medicine shouldn’t be flushed or land-filled.” Sedatives, antidepressants, antibiotics, steroids and acetaminophen are some of the pharmaceuticals that have been detected in the waterways and drinking water of most major cities. The most notable study was done by the Associated Press in 2008. They found the sex hormone, estradiol, in San Francisco’s drinking water. The Chronicle later published reports by a chemist with the Southern Nevada Water Authority refuting that claim. Karri Ving, SFPUC acting pollution prevention manager who oversees pollution control for the city’s sewage system added that our drinking water comes from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, and wouldn’t have contact with sewage treated water or underground aquifers at risk from landfill pollutants. The only evidence of pharmaceuticals in the bay comes from a single study by the San Francisco Estuary Institute. By performing grab samples in the south bay, they detected acetaminophen, a popular over-the-counter pain killer. While pharmaceutical pollution is a concern documented across the country, the impact it may have on the environment and humans remains unknown. One study, cited by a waste disposal program in Washington, found prolonged exposure to antidepressants disrupted fish reproduction. Medicinal disposal programs may not be able to measure success in terms of overdose prevention or environmental protection, but the program takes pride in prevention and providing a service the people want. “The early success of the program is a great indicator of behavior change,” Jackson said, “though data linking this success to detected changes in local waterways has yet to be collected.”
6 ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
01.30.13 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
MARCHING TO THE BEAT OF A HEALING DRUM
“ He had completely broken down and that was hard. Andrew is my big brother. Seeing him so vulnerable like that was just so devastating. I didn’t even know what to say to him Katie Baird, Andrew’s sister
continued from page 1
great and practicing with them,” Baird said. During the early stages of treatment, Baird used his drumming as a way to conquer the taxing emotions that cancer can bring. “Dealing with cancer sucks, so at least me being able to play helped to get that aggression out,” Baird said. It gave me peace of mind because I was able to listen to my music still and just zone out and focus on just drumming and playing with my band.” A false sense of security loomed as the chemo treatments ended and Baird expected news of remission. He was told that the cancer had spread to his abdominal lymph nodes, which would need to be surgically removed. The surgery required an incision from the bottom of his sternum to the top of his groin, eventually sealed up with 46 staples. If the two-to-three-month recovery from the surgery wasn’t enough, Baird had to follow up with more chemo. Baird’s sister Katie was there when the doctor broke the news. “He had completely broken down and that was hard. Andrew is my big brother. Seeing him so vulnerable like that was just so devastating. I didn’t even know what to
say to him,” Katie said, “I would’ve done absolutely anything to help ease his pain, but in reality there was really nothing I could do to make things better.” Through all of the treatments, Baird was struck with nerve damage in his hands. As a drummer, this took a huge toll on his daily life. “I remember sticks would just fly everywhere because I just couldn’t grip them well. I’d be going through three or four sticks just for one song, just rehearsing, not even playing a show,” Baird said. During his extended healing process, Baird was able to play a couple local shows occasionally, but couldn’t tour. “It was making me infuriated, because I was getting sick all the time and I couldn’t do a lot, and my band had to keep moving on with fill-in drummers; it gave me more motivation to get better,” Baird said. The motivation to heal was also fueled by Fallujah’s fans. Baird would make regular posts on Facebook, updating his fans on how he was doing, and got an enormous response. Hundreds of likes and comments from fans and friends flooded his page. With each comment or post from a person, Baird would take the time to respond with a heartfelt “thanks” and some
conversation. “The support through my band, with the fans, was pretty overwhelming,” Baird said, “This last tour that I just came back from, I actually met a lot of fans that had heard about it and some of them even said I got better (at drums). I keep telling them it wasn’t easy, but I’m getting it back one way or another. A lot of people were really impressed by that, it was cool.” With the motivation to get back behind the drum set and support from his friends, bandmates and fans, Baird was finally able to announce his remission and completion of treatment in September of last year. He has just returned from his first tour since his diagnosis. “He’s playing drums better than ever, you would have never thought he went through all that,” Maramonte said. “He bounced back 110 percent, and it’s good to have him back.” Baird continues to rebuild and thrive, but remains humble. “It’s important to remember that there are people out there who have it worse. I was able to fight with mine and I still feel like I got off easy.” Fallujah will be recording new music this February.
Beating the skins: Andrew Baird, 22, drummer of the death metal band Fallujah, who was diagnosed with cancer a year ago, practices drums in his house in Danville, Calif. on Jan 27, 2013 Photo by Andy Sweet
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| 01.30.13
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT 7
Traumatic love story debuts theater season by jonathan ramos | joaromo@mail.sfsu.edu
B e lin on sive u exc
Stay tuned for an exclusive video sneak peak at goldengatexpress.org
reinventing A classic: TOP Grace Ng (left) plays the Greek Eurydice and Caleb Cabrera (right) plays the Greek Orpheus in the modern rendition of the play Eurydice. The production was directed by Ben Calabrese and the cast did their first designer’s run through in the Studio Theatre in the Creative Arts Building Tuesday, Jan. 22. Bottom: Tim Goble (left), Olivia Doherty (center), and Chloe Bertles (right) rehearse a scene from Eurydice. The play is produced by the Players’ Club — SF State’s theatre arts student organization . It gives theater students the opportunity to showcase their skills. Photos by Andy Sweet
en Calabrese is captivated by the action unfolding on stage; two star-crossed lovers, one on a table and the other on a chair, lean in for a passionate kiss when suddenly the table slips out from underneath. And so goes the unexpected nature of a show’s rehearsal and its focused director, who observes and takes note of it all. Rehearsing a scene from the upcoming production of “Eurydice,” actors Will Caldwell and Shannon Carroll, both 22, displayed an effortless chemistry while staying true to the old saying which demands that the show must go on. This play is the opener for SF State’s varied Spring 2013 theater season. The story is a modern retelling of the classic Greek myth as written by French playwright Jean Anouilh, and set in the 1930s. It tells the story of a musician named Orpheus (Caldwell) and an actress named Eurydice (Carroll) who meet at a train station, instantly fall in love and the depths they go to for everlasting love. In the original myth, it is love that takes Orpheus to the underworld in order to bring Eurydice back to earth after she had been fatally bitten by a snake. The catch is he should walk in front of her and never look back until they reach earth or else she would die again and be gone forever. In Anouilh’s version, a car crash claims Eurydice’s life, but the challenge remains. Orpheus must wait beside her spirit in the train station until sunrise and not look her in the face. With the stakes set high, Anouilh’s skeptic love story rolls into motion. “Anouilh sort of had this vision to criticize the idea of love at first sight,” Calabrese, 21, senior and the show’s director, said. “I think ‘Eurydice’ will tell us that love isn’t as clean and simple as fairytales.” To further convey Anouilh’s vision, he casted two extra actors; Caleb Cabrera and Grace Ng, who mirror the narrative of the modern day Orpheus and Eurydice and represent the pair from the original Greek tale. Regardless of the play’s bittersweet themes and sometimes bleak tone, Calabrese hopes that the epic love story will resonate with the audience and that they will dare to accept love in all its imperfections. “I think love can be messy at times,” Calabrese said. “(But) it’s no less good. It’s no less powerful. It’s no less important. Embracing the messiness is what I hope to get people to do.” “Eurydice” is funded by the Players’ Club — SF State’s theatre arts student organization. Every fall, they select one production for the spring season out of a series of interviews and proposals from students all vying for the opportunity to direct their own show. “We decided to go with this show because it was inspiring, uplifting and moving all at the same time,” Gabby Battista, 21-year-old president of the Players’ Club, said. “We had a general consensus where we wanted everyone to believe in true love,” she said. The Players’ Club decision should come as no surprise considering Calabrese’s track record at SF State. He has been involved in at least 13 productions either as an actor, director, playwright or stage manager. “The school’s really given us the opportunity to use this space and really showcase all the things we’ve learned here,” Calabrese said. “It’s great that we have the creative freedom to express ourselves in that way.” In addition to directing “Eurydice,” Calabrese’s short play “La Cajita” has been selected to represent SF State for the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival regionals next month in Sacramento. It will compete in the one-act plays category along with five other aspiring playwrights from neighboring schools. If chosen, it will move on to the national festival in Washington, D.C. in April. As excited as he is for the festival, Calabrese’s main focus is “Eurydice,” and his expressions ranged from head nods to smiles during the run-through. “As a director, I think the toughest job has been making sure that everybody’s ideas are coming forward,” Calabrese said. “That’s 30 minds and you’re working with so many talented people. That’s been the most challenging and the most rewarding.” The cast and crew are equally passionate, as they too believe in the story’s vision. “I want people to look at this relationship and maybe examine their own,” Carroll said. With a love story encompassed in themes of death and disappointment, Caldwell advises audience members that this is not a show for the fainthearted. “If you’re depressed, don’t come see it ‘cause you might not make it out,” Caldwell jokingly said. “I hope audiences just let the show wash over them.” “Eurydice” will open Thursday Jan. 31 and run through Sunday, Feb. 10 at SF State’s Studio Theatre in the Creative Arts Building. It will be followed by Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Our Town” opening March 7 at the Little Theatre. The season will conclude with the wise-cracking antics from the puppet-driven musical “Avenue Q” opening April 25 at the Little Theatre.
8 OPINION
01.30.13 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
STAFF EDITORIAL
KALE WILLIAMS
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF kale@mail.sfsu.edu
Higher Education, lower prices
Brad wilson
PRINT MANAGING EDITOR bradw949@mail.sfsu.edu
adrian rodriguez
ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR arrodrig@mail.sfsu.edu
ELISSA TORRES
ART DIRECTOR elissat@mail.sfsu.edu
wyatt mccall
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR wmccall@mail.sfsu.edu
Nena Farrell
PRINT COPY CHIEF haydee@mail.sfsu.edu
sam molmud
ONLINE COPY CHIEF smolmud@mail.sfsu.edu
VIRGINIA TIEMAN
PRINT PHOTO EDITOR tieman@mail.sfsu.edu
jessica worthington
online PHOTO EDITOR jlwphoto@mail.sfsu.edu
ELLIE LOARCA
CAMPUS EDITOR emloarca@mail.sfsu.edu
ERIN DAGE
CITY EDITOR erindage@mail.sfsu.edu
MATT SAINCOME
A&E EDITOR saincome@mail.sfsu.edu
lindsay oda
opinion editor loda@mail.sfsu.edu
dan nelson
ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR danelson@mail.sfsu.edu
Jonathan ramos
Assistant A&E EDITOR jonaramo@mail.sfsu.edu
HOLLY NALL
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR hnull@mail.sfsu.edu
RACHELE KANIGEL
FACULTY ADVISER kanigel@mail.sfsu.edu
S
ome welcome news came from the California State University Board of Trustees over the break: for the first time since 2006 they aren’t planning on any tuition hikes for this semester, and Gov. Jerry Brown released a state budget proposal that would put an additional $125.1 million back into the CSU system. On the surface, this would appear to be a victory for students. We’ve spent years watching our tuition incrementally climb each semester, while student groups rallied, protested and advocated for an affordable education. The fact that tuition is staying flat this semester is a welcome reprieve. But this achievement should not be viewed as a reason to celebrate. Let’s not forget that full-time yearly tuition in the 2006-07 school year was at $2,520 and within five years, it skyrocketed to $5,472. It appears that the $125.1 million slated for the CSU system is an indication that California is on its way to financial stability. In light of this news, the CSU trustees and Gov. Brown should not be let off the hook or given a “get out of jail free pass.” Rather than celebrate, we should continue to advocate for an affordable education — not one that stays at the same price. As students, we are not asking for a hand out, but we do think that tuition should be decreased to pre-recession levels. Not because we want something for free, but because it makes sense economically. A quality education leads to increased earning potential, which would boost consumer spending and tax revenues. Without an educated workforce, our state will continue to languish in the economic doldrums. As much as state budget cuts have impacted students, they’ve affected faculty as well. None of our professors have received a raise for several years. Without any incentives, quality professors and lecturers will leave and be replaced by those willing to settle for stagnant wages. What we are asking for is a college education system that is affordable for students of all socio-economic backgrounds.
We deserve an education that produces valuable members of the workforce, without any crippling student loans attached. In the 1950s, state legislators and academic administrators knew the demand for higher education would go up with the maturation of the baby boomer generation. To prepare, they came up with a “Master Plan for Higher Education” that dictated higher education should “be available to all regardless of their economic means, and that academic progress should be limited only by individual proficiency.” While times have certainly changed since the ‘50s, we believe that this mission statement still rings true and students should continue to do everything they can to actualize it.
Art by Kirstie Haruta kharuta@mail.sfsu.edu
ken kobre
PHOTO ADVISER ken@kobre.com
JESSE GARNIER
online ADVISER jgarnier@sfsu.edu
JUSTIN OROZCO
CIRCULATION jaorozo@mail.sfsu.edu
ARUN UNNIKRASHNAN
My favorite word rhymes with duck
I.T. CONSULTANT arun@mail.sfsu.edu
EVA CHARLES
ADVERTISING & BUSINESS echarles@mail.sfsu.edu
sadie crofts
STUDENT GRAPHIC DESIGNER sgcrofts@mail.sfsu.edu
WRITE US A LETTER The Golden Gate Xpress accepts letters no longer than 200 words. Letters are subject to editing. Send letters to Lindsay Oda at: loda@mail.sfsu.edu
ABOUT XPRESS The Golden Gate Xpress is a student-produced publication of the journalism department at San Francisco State University. For more information or comments, please contact Kale Williams at: kale@mail.sfsu.edu
I
t has come to my attention that I have the mouth of a sailor. I’m not sure how it happened. I certainly don’t have any sailor friends and have never been one for navigating the seas, but for some reason, I can’t stop cussing like one. The person who brought this shocking news to my attention was none other than my own 10-year-old sister, who was dismayed at my utterance of the F-word when some dude cut me off on the freeway. It was at that moment I realized I never notice when I let the F-word slip. Has it come to the point where this word has built a little home in my psyche? I figured it was time to understand what compels me to cuss rather than let these bombs drop like crazy.
by ELLIE LOARCA | emloarca@mail.sfsu.edu
I can’t recall when I let out my first curse word, but I’m sure it was invigorating. There is just something about the utility of curse words that makes them so easy to drop. I can use them as any part of speech whenever I need or so wish to. Swear words can be used descriptively, figuratively, abusively and for emphasis. I think, like myself, most people cuss out of frustration or pain. For example, when I stub my tiny toes on the rock hard coffee table, it is almost instant that I drop a nicely placed “f**k!” This is known as cathartic swearing. According to a study from Keele University, using swear words when in pain actually reduces the amount of pain. The study also found that using more vulgar curse words can actually have a greater numbing effect rather then using a word like damn.
The second most common use of profanity is in social settings. A study by the University of East Anglia found that cussing in the workplace can in fact help you make friends. Dropping the occasional F-bomb can band together coworkers who have similar frustrations, which makes it acceptable. I can see how that works in the classroom as well. Friendships can simply be created when you’re sitting in class annoyed by the amount of assignments. You say, “This is bulls**t!” Someone is bound to turn around and agree with you. Then bam, best friends forever. In all situations, the key to cussing is knowing your audience. Let loose when it’s comfortable to do so, but keep in mind who may be lurking behind you, for they may feel disrespected by your language. That person could even be your sweet 10-year-old sister.
GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
| 01.30.13
An unlikely season by dan nelson | danelson@mail.sfsu.edu
A World Series, a Super Bowl, a new believer.
O
n 24th and Castro streets sits a bar called Valley Tavern. This is where I spent my Sunday afternoon Jan. 20. When I arrived, there were 10 to 20 people waiting outside—squinting through the windows to catch a glimpse of the TVs. After 15 minutes of waiting, I finally stepped into a sea of red and gold regalia. Fans from across the city settled in to watch the San Francisco 49ers play the Atlanta Falcons. The stakes: a trip to Super Bowl XLVII at the Superdome in New Orleans. With that looming, 49er fans sat in agony even as victory seemed all but inevitable. The demeanor of the fans varied from “I don’t believe it” to “I can’t believe it” as the game ended. It had set in that the 49ers were going back to the Super Bowl for the first time in 18 years. Sunday, Feb. 3, San Francisco will have a chance to do something only three other cities have done in American history: consecutively win a World Series and a Super Bowl. Backtrack to Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012. I stood on the porch outside my Arballo Drive apartment. I listened to the same frenzied celebration emanate from the surrounding complexes as Sergio Romo struck out American League MVP Miguel Cabrera. The strikeout sealed the sweep of the Detroit Tigers for San
Francisco’s second World Series title in three years. Later that week, I ventured to Market Street to catch a glimpse of the championship Giants. I’d never seen an area so dense with people since Halloween in Isla Vista. The streets were painted with orange and black confetti. I’m not a San Francisco sports fan. I was born in Fair Lawn, N.J. When I watch baseball, I watch the New York Mets. The Mets logo was created from Dodger blue and Giants orange. Aside from this shared history, I never cared much for the Giants. Brett Favre was in the midst of his third consecutive MVP run when I started getting into football, so I’ve always had an affinity for the Green Bay Packers. It hurt to watch the 49ers dismantle the Packers a week before the Falcons game. But as I took a minute to look around Valley Tavern that Sunday, I felt something. I don’t know if it was my love of sports or being surrounded by the enthusiasm of the fans. It could have been the collision of both. All I know is that it was contagious. It made me connect to a city in a way I never had before. I kept thinking how coincidental it was that the first semester I moved to San Francisco, the Giants won the World Series. Now I’m getting ready for my second semester, and the 49ers are going to the Super Bowl. What are the chances? History tells us there’s a .06 percent chance, to be exact. I like these odds. I’ve drunk the Kool-Aid, and it’s delicious.
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10 S P O R T S
01.30.13 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
PLAYER
isaiah jimenez
WEEK
WRESTLING
of the
Senior Isaiah Jimenez has been chosen as the Xpress Player of the Week. Jimenez picked up two wins during Sunday’s home opener. He racked up seven takedowns over the span of three periods. The wins move him up to No. 6 in the nation in his weight class.
Photo by TYLER DENISTON/SF STATE SPORTS
sports schedule FriDAY (2.01) wrestling
SF State vs. Cal baptist 1 p.m. (SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.)
BASEBALL SF State vs. FRESNO PACIFIC UNIVERSITY 2 P.M. (san francisco, Calif.)
women’s basketball
SF State vs. Cal state monterey bay 5:30 p.m. (seaside, Calif.)
men’s basketball
SF State vs. Cal state monterey bay 7:30 p.m. (seaside, Calif.)
baseball
SF STATE vs. fresno pacific university (DH) 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. (San Francisco, Calif.)
men’s basketball
SF STATE vs. cal state east bay 7:30 p.m. (hayward, Calif.)
softball
SATURDAY (2.02) WRESTLING
california collegiate open 9 a.m. (San Francisco, Calif.)
softball SF STATE vs. cal state moneterey bay 11 a.m. (San Francisco, Calif.)
SF STATE vs. cal state san marcos 1:15 p.m. (San Francisco, Calif.)
women’s basketball
SF STATE vs. cal state east bay 5:30 p.m. (hayward, Calif.)
softball
SF STATE vs. chico state 6 p.m. (hayward, Calif.)
Sunday (2.03)
TUESDAY (2.05) baseball
SF State vs. sonoma state university 2 p.m. (rohnert park, Calif.)
softball
SF State vs. dominican (Calif.) 10 a.m. (san francisco, Calif.)
softball SF State vs. cal state dominguez hills 12:15 p.m. (san francisco, Calif.)
For same-day coverage, go to
golden gatexpress .org
GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
| 01.30.13
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promises of low tuition not guaranteed CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
The last time CSU tuition did not increase was 2006, according to the CSU budget central blog. The CSUs have experienced consistent state budget cuts since 2010, although enrollment has increased since then from 392,827 to 417,000. As a result, the CSU system has implemented tuition increases and unpaid furlough days for faculty members. “It’s a step in the right direction (the $125.1 million), but the CSUs and California need to do a lot more to make good on their promise of affordable, accessible education,” Raymond Parenti-Kurttila, SF State’s Associated Students, Inc. vice president of external affairs, said. “It’s not, by any means, where we were 10 years ago.” Gov. Brown slated $10 million of the $125.1 million for online education. The CSU’s newest online program offers high demand “gateway” courses, like elementary math, for non-traditional stu-
dents such as mothers, high school and military students. Wei Ming Dariotis, SF State chapter president of the California Faculty Association, expressed concerns for faculty members regarding the $125.1 million. “The last contract had a provision to bring mid-career faculty up to standard pay. Part of that was given out, 16 percent. I’d like to see the campus fulfill the rest of that commitment. At most it would take $3,000.” Although the CSU has no plans for a tuition increase, it is not guaranteed. The state budget proposal is subject to change and will be revised in May. The final version of the budget will not go into effect until passed by the state legislature, which is supposed to happen by June 15 as mandated by the state constitution. SF State’s portion of the projected $125.1 million will not be determined until after that deadline.
Tuition still tops the charts $7,000
Graduate program
$6,500 $6,000 $5,500
full-time tuition fees
Undergraduate program
$5,000 $4,500
Tuition costs, which have risen by nearly 50 percent over the last five years, will remain flat this semester
$4,000 $3,500 $3,000 $2,500 $2,000 Source: California State University Budget Office
2006 and 2007
2007 and 2008
2008 and 2009
2009 and 2010
2010 and 2011
2011 and 2012
GRAPHIC by ELISSA TORRES
2012 and 2013
2013 and 2014
Academic school years
Note: 2013 and 2014 stats projected
01.30.13 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
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CATHOLIC CAMPUS MINISTRY NEWMAN CLUB St. Thomas More Church Father Labib Kobti, Pastor 1300 Junipero Serra Blvd. San Francisco, CA 94132
(415) 452-9634
www.stmchurch.com/newman email: newman@stmchurch.com Weekly Meeting, For Current Activities: Cesar Chavez Student Center: St. Thomas More: (415) 452-9634 Mondays: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Close to campus! Please call Verbum Dei: (415) 573-9062