Spring 2019 Issue 1

Wildlife hospital gives animals injured in city second chance at life

Wrestling team shines in Rocky Mountains Athletic Conference

page 4

Survey shows BART riders disgusted by station, train conditions

page 7

page 3

Xprëßß

Gøldëñ Gåtë THE STUDENT VOICE OF SAN FRANCISCO UNIVERSITY SINCE 1927

Hit-and-Run

Government temporarily opens

End of shutdown arrives before grant funds affected MONSE ARREOLA PRINT MANAGING EDITOR marreola@mail.sfsu.edu After a historic duration of 35 days, the partial government shutdown has temporarily ended.

President Trump conceded to ending the shutdown for three weeks on Friday without funding for the wall. Many Americans paid the price for Trump’s efforts to pressure Democrats into paying billions of dollars for the wall. Despite anticipation that the shutdown would affect higher education, the university remained unscathed. For now, at least.

During the shutdown, over 800,000 federal workers were either furloughed or had to work without pay, leaving many struggling to make ends meet. Several entities, including the Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration, National Parks Services and the IRS, stopped or paused their services. The end of the shutdown allows federal workers to receive back pay but does not guarantee they won’t be in the same situation again come Feb. 15.

If the Government shutdown Continue on Page 2

A Shutdown’s Chronology

• JAN. 9

•DEC. 22

Following Trump’s Oval Office address, he stormed out of meeting with Democrats and threatened to declare a “national emergency” if they refused to comply with his demands.

After failed attempts to strike a negotiation between Democrats and Republicans Trump announced a partial government shutdown.

• JAN. 25 President Donald Trump ends the partial government shutdown for three weeks without funding for the wall until Feb. 15. If an agreement is not reached he announced that he is prepared to resume the shutdown.

•DEC. 11 President Donald Trump announces he would be “proud” to shutdown the federal government if his demands to fund nearly $6 billion for the wall are not met.

had carried over into the beginning of the semester, it could have affected research funded through federal grants. The university has several grants across various colleges and departments, receiv-

ing its biggest grants through the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.

Michael Scott, associate vice president for Research and Sponsored Programs, said that had the strike

First Amendment

Professor files lawsuit against Wong LORENZO MOROTTI EDITOR-IN-CHIEF lmorotti@mail.sfsu.edu A tenured professor filed a lawsuit against SF State President Leslie Wong and other top-ranking administrators on Jan. 14, alleging discrimination based on her race, health and political activism.

Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas program director and professor Rabab Abdulhadi alleges in the suit that Wong, Vice President of Student Affairs Jennifer Summit and former Provost Sue

Rosser acted on behalf of Zionist organizations who donate money to the SF State.

As of press time, the administrators named above, who are listed as defendants in the case, have not responded to this Xpress reporter’s inquiries.

In the lawsuit, Dr. Abdulhadi claims these administrators helped foster a hostile work environment by launching repeated investigations into her research, excluding her from cohorts and canceling trips to Palestine to stall the AMED program at the behest

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2019

AARON LEVY-WOLINS/File photo for Golden Gate Xpress

Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas director Rabab Abdulhadi speaks at the Edward Said mural rememberance event.

of pro-Israel groups like AMCHA, the Jewish Community Relations Council and SF Hillel.

“It’s at the crux of the problem,” Abdulhadi said to Xpress in a

phone interview. “It robs me of time when I have to exert effort to respond to these issues that they create.”

First Amendment Continue on Page 2

Student dies in hit-andrun Redondo Beach police apprehend suspect JULIE PARKER AND PAUL EICHENHOLTZ CAMPUS & CITY EDITORS xpressnewsstaff@gmail.com Police in Redondo Beach have arrested a suspect in the hit-andrun killing of a 21-year-old SF State student Saturday night.

PINEDO Angelina Pinedo, a business administration major with a concentration in marketing, was in a crosswalk at Aviation Boulevard and Grant Avenue in Redondo Beach around 9 p.m. with her sister Michelle Pinedo when a black Audi Q5 struck her and the driver fled the scene. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, police say they found the car not far from the scene of the crime Sunday night and 21-year old Leila Gonzalez, who admitted to being behind the wheel, was arrested Monday at 1 p.m.

“The San Francisco State University community is deeply saddened to learn of the tragic death of Angelina Pinedo, who was a junior at San Francisco State,” Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Luoluo Hong said in an email. “We extend our deepest sympathies to Ms. Pinedo’s family and friends for their profound loss.”

Hugo Schwyzer was heading home from work at a nearby Trader Joe’s when he witnessed the aftermath of the accident, arriving shortly before Redondo Beach Police.

“There was already a big crowd around her and there was a woman frantically trying to give her CPR in the street and lots of people were very upset,” Schwyzer told Xpress. “From the second that it happened I think there were dozens and dozens of people who tried to help and unfortunately there was nothing that could be done, but she was not alone.”

In addition to the crowd of concerned onlookers, Schwyzer saw pieces of a black bumper scattered in the roadway, though by the time he arrived the driver Hit-and-run had fled the scene.

Continue on Page 2

2 CAMPUS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2019 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

Hit-and-run: SF State student’s ‘promising future’ cut short Hit From Page 1

or [Pinedo] was ahead or behind [of the group],” Schwyzer said. “Aviation Boulevard is one of the main boulevards and people fly on it.”

The speed limit is 35 mph but Schwyzer said people do not observe it, and because the area the accident occured is near the crest of a hill, visibility is compromised.

“This is not the first hit and run we’ve had [there],” he said. “Just last month we had somebody lose control of their car and crash and was killed. Fortunately no one else was killed, [but it was] at that same intersection.”

Abdulhadi sues top-ranking officials FIRST AMENDMENT From Page 1

She said her work teaching students advocacy for anti-colonialism is misconstrued as anti-Semitism by these groups to frighten the Jewish community, villainize her nation of origin, Palestine, and obstruct her position at the helm of the AMED program.

The First Amendment complaint, filed on Jan. 14, also

CBS Los Angeles reported that Pinedo and her sister were at a going-away party earlier Saturday evening and were on their way to pick up Pinedo’s bags so she could travel back to San Francisco for the commencement of spring semester.

Pinedo was adopted by extended family after her father was also killed in a hit-and-run, according to CBS Los Angeles.

Family spokesperson Jonathan Torres told Xpress that Pinedo was a selfless and caring “people person.”

“She was known for helping whenever she could,” Torres said. “There was an older woman who would walk

states that SF State administrators use “kid-gloves” when responding to complaints from Hillel or AMCHA, but remain silent when Abdulhadi is repeatedly sued by anti-Palestine organizations, despite the cases being dismissed with prejudice

by Judge William Orrick, or when smear campaigns defame her as anti-Semitic.

Investigations that started in 2014 were used in the lawsuit.

Abdulhadi had to take time to respond in and out of court, and is still diverting time and energy to cooperate with the investigations.

“Everything becomes a mountain of paperwork,” she said. “It’s an attempt to kill my spirit as an educator [and to] prevent people from learning about Palestine and the indivisibility of justice.”

a couple blocks from the church. She would help her walk to Mass.”

“She was that light in the room,” he added. “She was young and full of life.

[She had] a promising future.”

SF State student Alison Colcord befriended Pinedo after taking a class with her last spring.

“She was really super nice and she got along well with everyone,” Colcord said. “She was very warm and friendly.”

Likewise, Nadine Martinez, who attended Rosemead High School with Pinedo, described her as a “nice and understanding girl.”

“I tried out with her for Rosemead High School’s varsity song team in

2014,” she said. “She usually kept to herself and didn’t get involved in drama. She had so much motivation to finish school and accomplish all her dreams. It is so tragic that she had to go the way she did.”

Dr. Hong said that counseling and support services are available to all members of the SF State community.

Students can reach out to the Counseling and Psychological Services Center on campus in Student Services Building Room 205 or by calling 415-338-2208.

Faculty and staff can call the Employee Assistance Program 24/7 at 800367-7474 to speak with a professional counselor.

and objec-

“So what they try to do is tives has not make her working conditions been made to so intolerable that she quits available the university community,” our of her own volition.” according to paragraph 27

-Behnam Gharagozli, attorney

Political proxy Behnam Gharagozli, the plaintiff ’s attorney, said because these Zionist organizations happen to be affiliated with wealthy SF State donors, they use the same tactics of intimidation that reflect the political landscape between Israel and Palestine.

In the lawsuit, it is cited that Wong’s positive attitude toward the AMED program shifted after a trip to Israel on behalf of the JCRC in 2012.

“Information on this trip’s itinerary, flights and accommodations, meetings, goals

in the lawsuit.

Another example used in the lawsuit is a coffee meeting in 2017 between the Executive Director of SF Hillel Ollie Ben and Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Luo Luo Hong regarding Hillel’s exclusion from the Know Your Rights Fair.

When General Union of Palestine Students hosted the fair, the group chose not to invite Hillel, which, amid other allegations of discrimination, prompted Hillel member Jacob Mandel and four other Jewish students to sue the University

Board of Trustees for religious and political discrimination in June 2017.

Gharagozli said the university launched an investigation, but it was a “witch hunt.”

“It started a bunch of litigation that is a waste of taxpayer dollars and acts as a diversion,” he said. “And for them to have found nothing — allegations unfounded — multiple times, you’d think that would be big news, but it wasn’t. The allegations were publicized loudly, but the findings were told in a whisper.”

John Martel, California Faculty Association San Francisco chapter president, said a main concern the union has with this lawsuit is how SF State handles academic freedom of professors.

First Amendment Continue on Page 3

Trump caves, research goes on GOVERNMENT From Page 1

to track spending and serve as placeholder until reimbursement. All grants approved prior to the shutdown would still have access to the designated checking account to draw against the allocated funds. However, during this time the university would fail to successfully bill for reimbursement.

Scott explained this would leave the university floating research costs.

“We would have to figure out what to do because we could be several millions of dollars in the hole,” he said. “We’re not a rich university, so if someone owes you a couple million dollars it starts to hurt. That’s all that would happen if [the shutdown] was three or

four months.”

This scenario would hurt recipients of research grants by delaying the approval process. While grants can be submitted during a shutdown electronically with no effect at the foundation, the approval process would experience a delay in the usual six-month process by several months.

However, faculty with approved grants would’nt experience difficulties.

Pam Hunt, professor in the Department of Special Education and coordinator of the Moderate/Severe Disabilities Program, didn’t feel her projects were threatened during the partial government shutdown.

“The shutdown has had no effect on my three federally funded projects, which are funded by the

Institute of Education Sciences and the Office of Special Education Programs (U.S. Department of Education),” Dr. Hunt said.

With the government shutdown only guaranteed to end for three weeks, it is undetermined if the university and other higher education institutions will see the ramifications of Trump’s attempts to fund the long-promised wall along the Mexican-American border in the near future.

Francis Neely, associate professor in the Department of Political Science, specializing in American politics and political psychology, thinks the current administration is too unpredictable to determine what may happen next.

F L E X I B L E , PA R T- T I M E

MASTER’S & CREDENTIALS Open House

Saturday February 9 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.

RSVP NOW ndnu.edu/admissions/events/

ENTER TO LEARN. LEAVE TO EXCEL. GMAT/GRE WAIVED Application fee not required for open house attendees

Start 2019

ndnu.edu

1500 Ralston Avenue, Belmont

BE L M O NT C A M PU S

BELMONT & TRACY CAMPUS

Art Therapy MA & PhD Clinical Psychology MS Education MA Public Administration MPA School Administration MA

MBA Special Education MA Teaching Credentials

not for profit

Established 1851

O NLINE

MBA TESOL MA

CITY 3

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2019

BART suRvey shows Rise in RideR TRANSIT: dissATisfAcTion due To cRime, gRime PAUL EICHENHOLTZ CITY NEWS EDITOR peichenh@mail.sfsu.edu The results of a BART survey released on Thursday show increased complaints from riders who say the transit agency is not doing enough to address the crime and grime they encounter as customers.

The latest biannual survey asked 5,292 riders how pleased they were with BART services last year. Only 56 percent of the BART riders surveyed said they were satisfied last year, compared with 69 percent in 2016 and 74 percent in 2014.

The negative ratings came after BART experienced one of its most turbulent years in operation, with several violent crimes and sanitary issues making the news in 2018. The fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Nia Wilson at MacArthur Station in July and two prior homicides that month prompted BART officials to boost safety and security measures in August.

Satisfaction with BART safety, cleanliness and law enforcement all declined by more than 10 percent, according to the 2018 survey. Some 27 percent of riders stated they used BART less because it was too dirty, 23 percent because of crime concerns and 21 percent due to overcrowded trains.

One survey respondent wrote, “The No. 1 problem with BART right now is the sheer volume of homeless people and mentally ill on BART. My wife and co-workers often do not feel safe or clean on BART. Please find a way to

fix this. Happy to pay more for this.”

Some of the top issues listed in the BART survey included personal security, homelessness, lack of police presence and maintenance concerns.

Other survey participants said BART is unclean in addition to being unsafe.

“The BART trains are generally very dirty, and they smell of urine,” wrote a respondent.

“The floors are filthy and often times the seats are as well.”

Rampant drug use on the BART system was another concern for riders after a hypodermic needle pricked a woman seated on a train in May last year.

“I’ve found needles, urine, fecal matter on seats. Homeless harassing riders. I feel unsafe all the time,” another respondent wrote.

A video posted by KPIX CBS showed drug users shooting up with needles in a hallway at Civic Center Station in April last year.

BART invested $44 million in new initiatives over the past 5 years to respond to these issues, according to BART spokesperson Christopher Filippi.

“We feel the results of BART’s biannual Customer Satisfaction Survey confirm quality of life issues are the correct priorities for BART to focus on,” Filippi said.

BART created an elevator attendant program, homeless outreach team and a controversial fare enforcement initiative to combat some of the most common complaints for BART riders, according to

LOLA CHASE/Golden Gate Xpress

A person rifles through a garbage bin at the Mission Street BART station on Saturday, Jan. 26 in San Francisco.

Filippi.

Newly-elected board director Janice Li said she would like to see BART continue to do more for the community.

“I think BART is finally starting to acknowledge [its] role as a transit agency,” Li said in an interview with Xpress last year. “Whether that’s passing a Safe Transit Policy when sanctuary policies were under attack or piloting an elevator attendant program.”

BART’s Homeless Outreach Team contacted 703 individuals in its first year of operation from November 2017 to November 2018. The team directed six people into shelters and six others into warming centers during the first week of January this year, according to Filippi.

People enter Mission Street BART station using their Clipper cards on Saturday, Jan. 26 in San Francisco.

LOLA CHASE/ Golden Gate Xpress

First Amendment: Lawsuit alleges racial discrimination “We’re very concerned in general with academic freedom and protecting all faculty… which involves any professor, regardless of their political position,” Martel said. “We want to make sure they can all teach what they want to teach and have the freedom to express themselves without worry of a ton of outside pressure.”

“There are not many programs at our school that touch on intense political discussions and issues,” he added. “So AMED is no way innocent of that stuff and is affected by national and international politics.”

FIRST AMENDMENT From Page 2

Breached contract Abdulhadi’s complaint also alleges that SF State administrators breached stipulations in her hiring contract and

misrepresented the job description to convince her to leave her prior position at the University of Michigan in 2007.

“I am not supported in what I was hired to do,” she said. “Instead the program’s growth has been stunted.”

Attached to the lawsuit is Abdulhadi’s hiring contract that states she would be provided with two research assistants that would be paid for by the university.

In 2009, however, she was told there were not enough funds in the budget and that once they became available, the college would begin the search.

Abdulhadi said the search is still stalled, and she has had to pay for expenses out-of-pocket.

Martel said another major union concern is ensuring that SF State honors its contractual obligations to its professors.

“When you get hired with certain understanding that something is going to happen, as a union we want to protect those rights because people leave their jobs to come work here,” he said.

Gharagozli said the lawsuit was filed with the intent to save the AMED program from constant scrutiny and litigation that drains its funding, and hold the university responsible for its contractual agreements when it hired Abdulhadi.

“Abdulhadi joined SFSU primarily because of its values and the rich history of fostering social justice and resisting oppression,” Gharagozli said.

“However, she categorically opposes the senior administrators at SFSU who infringe upon the university’s own ideals and mission statement of promoting justice for oppressed people. She was

forced to bring this lawsuit due to the actions of these administrators.”

The lawsuit also alleges that administrators have not met her requests to accommodate her medical disabilities by granting her a smaller course load, more online-only courses and moving her office closer to her classroom.

“They make my life miserable by creating conditions impossible to work in,” Abdulhadi said.

Gharagozli said Abdulhadi was hired as a tenured professor and SF State cannot fire her outright.

“So what they try to do is make her working conditions so intolerable that she quits out of her own volition,” he said.

4 CITY

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2019 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

Lindsay Wildlife Experience

Wildlife hospital provides shelter, aid, rehabilitation for animals in urban scape

ABOVE: A ground squirrel rescued from California fires looks out of her cage at Lindsay Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital in Walnut Creek on Sunday, Jan. 27. She was previously kept as a pet and would play with dogs. She is now non-releasable because of domestication.

LEFT: Shannon McClain clips the talons of a Cooper’s hawk while Kevin Cross restrains it still at Lindsay Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital in Walnut Creek on Sunday, Jan. 27.

PAUL EICHENHOLTZ CITY NEWS EDITOR peichenh@mail.sfsu.edu

L

indsay Wildlife Hospital manager Aireo Shipman knows firsthand how stressful, unpredictable and dangerous it can be to work as a wildlife rehabilitator. Just last week he was in a cherry picker above a house trying to untangle two bald eagles in a tree.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time and as soon as I think I’ve seen everything, something else comes up,” Shipman said.

“Literally last Monday I was 30 feet up with two bald eagles in a plastic bucket. That’s Monday for me!”

Lindsay Wildlife Hospital received its 5,792nd patient when Xpress visited in December.

During the summer — wildlife newborn season — there can be as many as 85 animals admitted per day.

“We learn not to plan our days too much,” Shipman said.

Every morning Shipman and a small dedicated team of veterinary technicians make rounds to check up on every sick, injured or orphaned animal in their care. Although Lindsay Wildlife Experience includes a museum with animal “ambassadors,” the hospital focuses exclusively on rehabilitation efforts.

Hospital patients range from baby deer mice to coyotes and foxes, but 75 percent of the animals Lindsay receives are birds, according to Shipman.

BOTTOM: Taylor Bloch examines the wing of an injured Hermit Thrush at Lindsay Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital in Walnut Creek on Sunday, Jan. 27.

We all love it, so it’s worth all the pain, the emotions and stress that every day can bring.”

-Max Lipman, Lindsay Wildlife Hospital veterinary technician

“We are part zoo, part hospital,” he said. “We do triage, we see a lot of medical cases, so we have to maintain the highest level of medical care and protocols. Once we get [an animal] stabilized, we have to take care of them until they are releasable.”

Some 98 percent of the animals Lindsay treats are there because of human actions, intentional or not. Most are hit by cars, poisoned or shot.

“The things that get me and the other technicians are when we get in an animal that’s been shot,” Shipman said. “That’s intentional.

That’s somebody pointing a gun at a wild animal and shooting.”

At 9 a.m. the hospital staff let volunteers in to assist them with cleaning, feeding and distributing medications to the patients.

According to its website, approximately 500 volunteers help out at Lindsay every year, giving the skeleton crew of full-time staff precious time to treat new arrivals and to check up on the rest of the animals.

“There’s always something going on,” Shipman said. “As soon as you’re feeding one thing, something else comes through

the door.”

A member of the public brought in the first patient of the day, a woodpecker that had been mauled by a cat. For hospital technician Shannon McClain, cat-caught animals have become too common. She performed an exam on the bird, methodically checking each wing and body part for damage, before giving the woodpecker subcutaneous fluids.

“He doesn’t look very good.

I’m going to make sure he stabilizes and warms up a little bit,” McClain said as she gently placed the bird into a warm cage.

Two hours later the woodpecker died. Shipman said, “We made it comfortable enough to pass away quietly, but that’s all we could do.”

Later that day a crow with a broken pelvis was humanely euthanized. Animals that cannot recover fully on their own must be euthanized, according to Lindsay’s wildlife permits.

None of the wildlife patients are given names, but that doesn’t make it any easier for hospital technician Max Lipman to avoid becoming attached to them.

ALL PHOTOS BY LOLA CHASE/Golden Gate Xpress “We all get emotional at times because it’s hard,” Lipman said. “It’s hard when we have to accept, unfortunately, that an animal is so injured that the best thing anybody could do for it is humanely euthanize it.”

When asked about why he became a wildlife rehabilitator, Lipman smiled.

“I’ve always loved wildlife,” he said. “We all want to get these animals out of here as soon as they can, so they can go back in the wild where they belong.

“We all love it, so it’s worth all the pain, the emotions and stress that every day can bring,” he added.

Lipman and McClain started as volunteers at Lindsay before they became full-time techni-

cians. Shipman spent over 17 years working with animals and recently transferred to Lindsay from San Diego’s Project Wildlife.

Lipman couldn’t help referring to the tiny baby mouse he was feeding with a syringe full of milk as “cute,” but he warned how easy it is to let your guard down with wild animals.

“That animal is in a position where it is in fight or flight. It’s going to try to fight you because it doesn’t know you are trying to help it,” he said.

Handling patients with care, without causing harm to them or others, is the trickiest part of being a wildlife rehabilitator. Some of the most dangerous animals at Lindsay can be birds of prey and

CITY 5

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2019

Veterinary technicians treat sick, injured, orphaned wild animals From Page 4

LOLA CHASE/Golden Gate Xpress

ABOVE: Shannon McClain administers medicine to a Cooper’s hawk while Kevin Cross holds it still at Lindsay Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital in Walnut Creek on Sunday, Jan. 27.

RIGHT: Taylor Bloch feeds meat to a golden eagle while Shannon McClain holds it still at Lindsay Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital in Walnut Creek on Sunday, Jan. 27. poisonous snakes. Tools such as raptor gloves and snake tongs are essential.

“It’s not like we go out to Home Depot and get some welding gloves. Those are leather Kevlar gloves because raptor talons are extremely sharp,” Shipman said. “They make a living by puncturing flesh and unfortunately that’s what we are made of.”

Almost all of the hospital staff have been attacked by their patients at some point in their careers.

McClain recalled how a juvenile pelican she was feeding suddenly lunged at her when she was feeding it.

“All of a sudden I saw the back of his throat come at my face,” McClain said.

On another occasion, she was bitten by a raccoon with broken teeth and severe neurological issues.

“It bit me on the finger through Kevlar gloves and through three pairs of nitrile

gloves,” she said.

Luckily the raccoon wasn’t rabid.

Shipman remembered the time a great horned owl bolted from his grip.

“It went through my hand like putty,” he said. “That took about five minutes to get the talons out and about 10 minutes to stop the bleeding.”

Other work hazards are not so obvious.

Shipman has been sneezed on by a coyote before and has had lice and flat flies crawl all over him while restraining animals.

Urine, feces and vomit are also frequent projectiles from the patients.

“You always need to bring a change of clothes,” Lipman said.

Lindsay Wildlife Hospital has a 42 percent success rate for animals that initially come through the door, according to Shipman.

“In general, the success rate is not great and that’s wildlife rehab across the

Gay Men’s Chorus raises $13,500 for Camp Fire victim relief ALEXIS MANZANILLA LIFESTYLE & CULTURE EDITOR amanzanilla @mail.sfsu.edu

S

an Francisco continues to provide support for the victims of the Camp Fire through a cappella and choir.

The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus hosted a concert on Sunday at the Bahá’í Center of San Francisco to benefit the undocumented and youth victims of the Camp Fire.

The concert featured musical groups from the SFGMC like the Lollipop Guild and the Homophonics, as well as main act Bobby Jo Valentine,

a Northern Californian singer and songwriter.

SF State alumnus Michael Barbarino participated in the concert as part of SFGMC. Barbarino studied music at SF State, which launched him into pursuing choir with the SFGMC. He described how SF State helped him find his identity, and expressed appreciation for the opportunities the university provided him, including the chance to work with well-known musicians.

As part of the SFGMC, Barbarino has been able to be more of an activist, rallying support for politicians, marches and, in this case, the people of Paradise who were devastated by the Camp Fire.

The benefit concert comes as part of a series put on by Valentine, who has raised $65,000 in the seven benefit concerts he has done so far. This was his first collaboration with SFGMC. Valentine felt a personal resonance with the devastation caused by the Camp Fire, as his house burned down in the Napa fires of 2017.

“My house was part of the houses that burned down and it was amazing to see the community that rallied around those who had lost their homes, so I just wanted to do the same,” he said.

The concert gathered donations from community members in attendance. With a donation

board,” he said. “And that’s kind of why it takes a special person to be able to do this, because it’s death day in and day out.”

The figure that Shipman is most proud of is Lindsay’s 80 percent success rate for animals that survive after 24 hours of care.

“That’s the number I like to share with people because if we just say, ‘Oh yeah, your animal only has a 42 percent chance of living,’ nobody wants to hear that,” he said.

A red-tailed hawk was cleared for release that day only to be replaced by another hawk in worse condition that afternoon. The weakened predator puffed its chest up and tried to spread its massive wings out during the exam as the staff inspected it.

The hawk was likely hit by a car and had a 50-50 chance of pulling through, goal for the night set at $5,000 to go to Paradise High School, the goal was surpassed at over $6,000.

Shawn Howell, chorus director at Paradise High and Paradise Middle schools, accepted the award. His students were greatly affected by the fires, with 33 of 35 of his students losing their homes.

Howell believes that music brings the students together in this difficult time and provides them with therapeutic relief, security and trust among each other.

“My heart was breaking for these kids, so my first thought was music — we need normalcy, we need music,” Howell said. He emphasized that throughout the tragic events, he discovered how much healing power music holds.

The healing power of music and the camaraderie felt within a music department is something that

according to Lipman. If the bird is strong enough, it will be transferred to the aviary next to the hospital, but it was too early for the staff to make such an optimistic prediction.

“We always do what we can, but it’s hard,” Lipman said.

Wildlife rehabilitation might seem unrewarding, even punishing to outsiders, but Lipman disagrees.

“I think it’s our responsibility as a population, not just locally but globally, to at least try to care for the wildlife that we inadvertently injure,” he said. “Whether that’s a turtle that swallows a plastic bag or a house finch that hits a window or a hummingbird that was caught by a cat — it’s a way for us to give back.”

resonates with Barbarino.

“I know firsthand that the music department is a second family for many students. For some, this is their only safe space,” he said. “It is a great feeling to be able to help raise money so these students can continue to do what they love without any financial burdens.”

In addition to the $6,000 raised by the audience for Paradise High School, a $7,500 check was presented by the Rainbow World Fund to Debra Lucero, District 2 supervisor of Butte County, with the purpose of helping undocumented victims of the fire. “[The undocumented] community faces a lot of challenges in that a lot of the emergency funds are not available to them,” Jeff Cotter, executive director of the Rainbow World Fund, said. Cotter described that there is a lack of services for unemployed

undocumented victims after the fire, and the services that are available are not pursued by undocumented victims because of the current political climate.

According to Lucero, the money raised will go to the Northern Valley Catholic Social Services, as they assist in finding missing undocumented people.

“I think that the message that I took back from this group is that there’s so much acceptance here that I’m hoping our community will always remember the acceptance San Francisco gave to them in our greatest time of need,” she said.

Valentine feels satisfied with the effort and music he put forward to benefit the people of Paradise.

“I feel like it was worth it to take the time to do this,” he said. “The music sounds better when you know it’s for a great cause.”

6 OPINION

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2019 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

Staff Editorial EDITORIAL BOARD VOL. 109, ISSUE 1 Lorenzo Morotti Editor-in-Chief lmorotti@mail.sfsu.edu Monserrath Arreola Print Managing Editor marreola@mail.sfsu.edu Julie Parker Campus News Editor jparker1@mail.sfsu.edu 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 Photo Editor lchase1@mail.sfsu.edu Devon Haripal Sports Editor dharipal@mail.sfsu.edu Ildar Sabirov Assistant Sports Editor isabirov@mail.sfsu.edu Cody McFarland Copy Editor cmcfarla@mail.sfsu.edu Chelsey Schallig Assistant Copy Editor cschallig@mail.sfsu.edu Christian Urrutia Art Director curruti1@mail.sfsu.edu Brian Vu Multimedia Editor bvu2@mail.sfsu.edu

Reporter error spurs false claims

S

tudent Affairs and Enrollment Management was prepared to defame Xpress reporter and incoming-Editor-in-Chief Lorenzo Morotti, he erred in his reporting.

In the story, “Transphobic’ crime bulletin leads to demands for apology, action,” Morotti misidentified Student Affairs graphic designer Anthony “Tony” Robbins as SAEM chief of staff Tony Little.

In response to this mistake, Little emailed President Leslie Wong, SAEM Vice President Luoluo Hong and Mary Kenny, interim associate vice president of strategic marketing and communications, accusing Morotti of blatant misrepresentation, fabrication and a pattern of sensationalism in his reporting.

While mistaking the identity of a source is a grave mistake for a journalist, it does not equate to the accusations put forth by Mr. Little.

This misunderstanding was finally cleared up in a closed-door meeting on Dec. 21 with Morotti, Golden Gate Xpress Adviser professor Jesse Garnier, attorney James Wagstaffe, Kenny and Little.

Little apologized, saying he didn’t intend to jeopardize Morotti’s credibility or career, but he was “in his feels,” and as a black man in a position of power thought the

TWITTER @GGXnews YOUTUBE

/XpressNewsVideo

FACEBOOK /GoXpress INSTAGRAM @GGXnews

that a relationship between Xpress and the administrations and the attendant unfettered access to this source of official campus information is vital to our community.

However, it appears SF State’s administration does not share those goals.

They cling to methods of prior restraint that give high-ranking officials time to tailor responses about controversial issues. Still, our requests for phone interviews with administrators like the president and provost of the university are limited to email threads.

We seek truth and report it, but we do not function as public relations for the university. It is not our responsibility to frame the administration or the university in a positive light.

Accuracy is paramount and the Xpress deeply regrets Morotti’s error, but we do not agree with SAEM’s reaction or its culture of obstructionism.

The Xpress is a conduit of information, not a gatekeeper.

Sometimes our reporters get things wrong, but we must be honest about our mistakes or risk losing credibility.

Two wrongs never make a right.

But if administrators continue to limit interactions with students to email correspondence, then issues like these are sure to arise.

R&B musician continues to cash in on streams despite accusations

Jesse Garnier Faculty Adviser jgarnier@sfsu.edu

CONTACT US

summary Hong emailed to the campus community was inappropriate.

Morotti also incorrectly attributed Little saying he was worried the callers’ messages were not getting through to the right people. He was quoted saying the report’s language was meant to match the victim’s description of the suspect. All these quotes should have been attributed to Robbins.

The university later reported that the victim gave the wrong description to officers from the University Police Department, and that SAEM relayed that faulty information. Xpress believes Little’s decision not to contact Morotti or the former Editor-in-Chief, Niko Labarbera, immediately upon discovering the error was questionable.

With only 10 employees, one of whom shares Little’s first name, you’d think you’d be able to make the logical inference that it could be a case of mistaken identity.

We do not blame Little for his reaction. It’s not his fault Morotti made a mistake or that there is so much pressure from administration to curate a positive image to attract more students.

We believe Little’s allegations were influenced by such pressure from higher up the administration’s food chain.

In our last editorial, we stressed

Alleged rapist not on my playlist: mute R. Kelly

Tahnia Ortega Social Media Editor tortegag@mail.sfsu.edu

Kim Komenich Photo Faculty Adviser komenich@sfsu.edu

error was intentional and racially charged.

Morotti apologized to Little for mistaking his identity.

Morotti said he met Little Friday, Dec. 7 at the SAEM front desk to discuss the university’s contentious crime bulletin, and when the then-reporter called the same desk about an hour later the voice on the other end of the line offered the greeting, “Office of Vice president. Tony, how can I help you?”

But because Mr. Robbins failed to include a surname Morotti inferred that he was speaking with Little, and thus the misunderstanding was born.

Morotti, who had a recording of the interview, conceded that in failing to ask for a surname during the conversation he erred, but he was confident in his reporting up until the Dec. 21 meeting. It was then that Robbins confirmed via conference call he spoke with Morotti in the Dec. 7 telephone interview.

Little also made a concession during the meeting, saying that though the quotes did not originate from him, they were nevertheless accurate.

In the original story, Morotti wrongly quoted Little saying the SAEM office received about 12 phone calls from people complaining that the use of the term “transgender” in a crime report

TAHNIA ORTEGA SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR tortegag@mail.sfsu.edu

I

t’s time to mute R. Kelly.

Literally. “Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number” written by Kelly and performed by Aaliyah, hauntingly alluded to the atrocities chronicled in Lifetime’s 2019 documentary “Surviving R. Kelly.” Yet his streaming popularity has increased in the weeks following the premiere.

We are on the wrong side of history if we continue to monetarily support a pedophile actively manipulating young girls.

Kelly’s streams increased by 16% after the first episode alone. The interest sparked shouldn’t be met by making him more successful.

Allegations of pedophilia, sexual misconduct and abuse have followed Kelly consistent-

ly throughout the decades. In 1994, 27-year-old Kelly married 15-year-old singer Aaliyah in an illegal ceremony using fraudulent documents. From 1996 to 2002, he was sued for inappropriate sexual conduct with teenagers by three women who all settled out of court. In 2008, he was acquitted on 14 counts of child pornography while performing “disturbing acts,” although there was an overwhelming amount of evidence suggesting he was guilty.

On Comedy Central, Dave Chappelle famously mocked the singer’s sex tape from a child pornagrphy case in which Kelly is seen urinating on a young girl. She was only 14. Let that sink in.

In 2017, Buzzfeed released an article alleging sex cult-like behavior from Kelly. The allegations include women being forcibly controlled in everything they do, from when they eat, shower and use the restroom to how they can dress and engage in sexual encounters.

“I was mentally drained ‘cause he would break me down, then build me up, then make me feel like shit again and do it all over again,” said Jerhonda James in the Lifetime documentary. At 16, she lived in isolation in one of Kelly’s homes for six months.

James relives the fear of being held

captive by Kelly as she shriveled up in tears when asked to describe the abuse. Still traumatized from these dark moments in her life, she declined to answer.

R. Kelly is not new to this game.

In wake of the sparked outrage following the documentary’s premiere, he has been seen partying with no worries. In July 2018, he continued to deny all allegations and tease the public with his 19-minute song “I Admit.” “Don’t push your daughter in my face, and tell me that it’s okay/‘Cause your agenda is to get paid, and get mad when it don’t go your way,” Kelly taunts.

There are so many complexities stemming from Kelly’s ongoing behavior. There are women who have been traumatized and exploited, parents who haven’t been able to speak to their daughters in years and girls at his side with Stockholm syndrome.

One element reigns supreme: most of these girls are minorities.

If these were white women, not women of color, being abused and groomed to stay with their abuser, the public’s perception and legal actions may have been significantly harsher a long time ago. However, these are our sisters, cousins and best friends who have been for whatever reason enamored to

“We cannot let our curiosty for Kelly contribute to pedophilia.” take the plunge into a cruel cult.

R. Kelly should rot in jail for abusing, grooming and raping children.

If you’d like to support the #MuteRKelly movement, you easily start on Spotify. Click the “Don’t play this artist” button located on the menu of any artist. Some radio stations have already stopped playing his music. Lady Gaga issued an apology and removed her song with Kelly titled, “Do What U Want,” from all streaming services.

Kelly has also been dropped by his record label, Sony.

We cannot let our curiosity for Kelly contribute to pedophilia. By streaming his songs or watching his videos, we are contributing to Kelly’s monetary success, which consequently funds his abusive lifestyle. He may have been able to get away with it in the past, but in light of the #TimesUp movement and #MeToo era, we will not allow it anymore.

Richard Kelly, you have been officially canceled.

SPORTS 7

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2019

Grit fuels wrestlers to double wins ILDAR SABIROV ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR isabirov@mail.sfsu.edu Grit and toughness secured the wrestling team a victorious dual meet over New Mexico Highlands and Simpson University on Friday, Jan. 25 at The Swamp.

The Gators chomped through Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opponent New Mexico Highlands University 26-15 to earn their first RMAC victory in the last four conference meets.

“It’s really important that you keep fighting, you don’t give up that major decision,” head coach Jason Welch said.

SF State jumped out to an early 7-0 lead thanks to redshirt senior Brandon Vu’s two-point decision victory and redshirt senior Jordan Gurrola’s 11-2 major decision victory.

Redshirt junior Joshua Villaflor was in danger of giving up the Gators’ first major decision, but fought his way back to a normal decision loss with a late third period takedown. Villaflor’s efforts, although in a loss, prevented the Cowboys from scoring another point.

The extra point mattered in the moment, but made little difference in the end. The Gators racked up valuable bonus points, led by sophomore Maxamillian Schneider and junior Justin Pichedwatana’s tech falls, where they forced their matches to end by way of a 15-point rout.

Schneider and Piched-

GATORS

26

COWBOYS

15

watana’s efforts gave the Gators five points each and ensured a comfortable 11-point victory, even with a six-point forfeit in the 197-pound weight class.

The meet against Simpson University was much closer, and having two of the four forfeits in the meet, SF State needed all the bonus points it could get.

The Gators also sported a different lineup against the Red Hawks, switching out Villaflor for senior Christian Ramos and Schneider for freshman Justin Hansz.

Welch said that some of the wrestlers were rested against Simpson University to prepare for the 42nd Annual California Collegiate Open that the Gators hosted on Saturday, Jan. 26 at The Swamp.

Again, SF State jumped out to an early lead, when Vu blitzed Red Hawk freshman Sergio Montoya with an early second period 17-1 tech fall. Gurrola followed Vu and claimed his forfeit victory, propping the Gators to an 11-0 lead.

The lead was short-lived, as the Red Hawks stormed back to tie the score, led by junior Armand Molina’s 17-1 tech fall over SF State’s Christian Ramos at 141 pounds and a Gators forfeit at 149 pounds.

The Gators and the Red Hawks went on to trade pins, starting with Red Hawks’ senior Noah Marquez pinning Hansz. Hansz built himself a 10-2 lead, knocking on the door of a major deci-

Gators to build on 2018 historic playoff run BRANDON TANGUMA STAFF WRITER btanguma@mail.sfsu.edu After making history in 2018, the SF State baseball team heads into the new season with four all-conference players and looks to win its first conference championship since 1983.

The Gators finished last season with a 23-21 conference record and clinched SF State’s first-ever spot in the California Collegiate Athletic Association championship game since they joined the conference in 1999. The last conference title

SF State won for baseball was in 1983 when they were part of the Northern California Athletic Conference.

“We’re excited to get the season going,” head coach Tony Schifano said. “We have a junior- and senior-laden team and the experience of last year will help us grow as a program.”

SF State has 10 seniors and 17 juniors on the roster this year, including four 2018 AllCCAA players in infielders Brady Dorn (All-CCAA first team) and Jackson Kritsch (All-CCAA second team), outfielder Jack Harris and first

LOLA CHASE/Golden Gate Xpress

Joshua Villaflor goes head to head with a player from New Mexico Highlands University in The Swamp at SF State on Friday, Jan. 25.

sion, before being turned and pinned, losing out on six points.

Redshirt sophomore Kurtis Clem followed up Hansz’s performance with a dominating display, ending the match with a cradle pin.

After an Annual Tracy Borah Duals appearance on Saturday, Jan. 12, where he lost all three of his matches (two of them by pins), Clem needed to follow up with a strong day — and that he did.

“I was kind of struggling as of late,” he said. “In wrestling, you just gotta blow that aside. The wins come with the losses and that’s what makes this sport so great.”

The Red Hawks snatched the lead 26-23 by winning the next match and getting yet another forfeit awarded at 197 pounds.

Redshirt sophomore Kevin Henry moved up to wrestle in heavyweights for his second time in the meet and earned a decision victory over Simpson University junior Chris Borba, 7-1. Henry and

baseman and outfielder Harley Lopez (All-CCAA honorable mentions).

Dorn, Kritsch and Lopez all held batting averages over .300, while Harris led the team with nine home runs last season.

Kritsch led the team in several offensive categories, including RBIs (41) and stolen bases (10).

The Gators offense was a strength last season and Schifano believes they will continue to be a solid hitting team, but the group has been actively looking to improve their defense during the offseason.

“Defense is the staple of championships,” the fourthyear head coach said.

SF State’s .959 fielding percentage ranked sixth in the CCAA last season. First baseman Trevor Rodgers had a perfect fielding percentage and turned 15 double plays in his 40 games played in 2018.

The Gators have four incom-

Borba both had difficulGATORS ties setting up any kind of offense, but through RED HAWKS multiple unnecessary roughness penalties by Borba and a late third-period takedown, Henry secured himself a victory.

The win tied the meet at 26 points apiece and the Gators were awarded a 29-27 criteria victory to finish out their day.

The now 6-8 Gators hosted the 42nd Annual California Collegiate Open on Saturday, Jan. 26, building upon Friday’s strong performance with a second place finish behind California Baptist University (NCAA D1).

SF State will take on Menlo College during senior night at The Swamp on

ing freshmen, with three of them joining as pitchers. Schifano explained that his goal in recruiting this offseason was to improve the bullpen since the season is four months long and the team plays four games every weekend.

“These freshmen can step in and give the team some innings so the other guys aren’t exhausted at the end of the season,” Schifano said.

SF State’s 4.81 team ERA ranked fifth in the CCAA, which was led by Jordyn Eglite’s 3.20 ERA in his 18 relief appearances. Sophomores Eglite and Joshua Romero were two players Schifano said will get more opportunities this season after being used in a limited capacity last year for both pitching and hitting.

He explained the starting group is set but players are competing in practice and, with the grind of the long season, a lot of players are going

29 27

to get an opportunity to take the field.

Assistant coaches Cameron Rowland and Joey Matthews are new additions to the SF State coaching staff. Rowland was the varsity pitching coach for Foothill High School for three seasons. The Pleasanton native transferred from Chabot College to the University of Nevada, where he pitched for the Wolf Pack from 2015-2016.

Matthews was a part of the 2013 Oregon State team that went to the College World Series as an outfielder. He served as an assistant coach from 2014-2017 for Holy Names University.

The Gators begin the 2019 season at home on Feb. 5 in a doubleheader against the Simpson Red Hawks. SF State’s conference schedule starts on Feb. 15 with a four-game series against the Sonoma State Seawolves.

Hangry?

Good to go.

From grab and go Chobani smoothies to granola bars, shop and save close to campus.

Š 2019 Target Brands, Inc. The Bullseye Design and Target are registered trademarks of Target Brands, Inc. C-000807-03-011

Stonestown Mall Target 19th Ave & Winston Dr