Fall 2019 Issue 11

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SF State’s student-run publication since 1927

Volume 110, Issue 11

Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019

Surf’s up: SF State starts first surfing team

Kristian Kocherga of SF State surfs during a mock surfing competition at Ocean Beach in San Francisco Nov. 2. (Photo by James Wyatt / Golden Gate Xpress) BY JESSE GOMEZ STAFF REPORTER

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s seconds fell from the timer of the opening heat the dream of bringing a surf team to SF State was finally realized. Happy to be out of the classroom and into a wetsuit, surfers gathered Saturday at Ocean Beach for the first mock-competition held by SF State, dubbed the “Battle of the Bay.”

After months of paperwork, permits and liability concerns, the official sport of California is now ingrained into the university which sits just a mile off the water. From proposal to acceptance, the process totaled eight months. “We are surfers, we don’t like doing paperwork,’’ said club president and creator Dylan Linde. “The process was tedious at times, but that’s over now, we are official, it’s time to go surf.”

Head coach and fellow SF State surfer Kristian Kocherga was in charge of bringing the event to life and finding opponents. “Getting this off the ground was tough,” said Kocherga. But we were like let’s do it, why not, let’s leave a little legacy behind.” The contest welcomed a total of 20 surfers: eight representing the home team, four from University of San Francisco and eight from UC Berkeley. CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

Former SF State instructor runs for mayor with pro-Trump agenda BY COREY BROWNING STAFF REPORTER

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ou may have seen the flyers floating around campus — bold red text, a photo of a woman in a red suit with slogans like “make San Francisco safe and clean” and “keep traditional family values” printed in both Chinese and English. Perhaps you’ve seen the parade of cars driving around town blasting “Star-Spangled Banner” led by a decorated white Ford pickup. Maybe you’ve heard about the con-

troversial London Breed billboard erected (and quickly taken down) in the South of Market Area that was widely condemned as racist by city leaders. These are all examples of the campaign efforts of Ellen Lee Zhou, the only conservative candidate among the handful of long-shot mayoral hopefuls running against Breed this November. The SF State graduate and former instructor in the Asian American Studies Department strays from the predominantly

Report from DC: Nationals celebrate first-ever World Series win

liberal local political norm with pro-Trump, pro-gun and pro-life views, and recently called out political leaders alleging City Hall conspiracies. “London Breed operates City Hall like a mob. London Breed is no different than the Mafia in San Francisco,” Zhou said, flanked by a crowd of sign-waving supporters during a rally Friday. “I’m no longer able to bear — and that’s why I’m coming out to run for mayor.” Zhou, the sixth of seven sib-

lings, grew up in rural China and moved to San Francisco in the late 80s with her family when she was 16 years old. She emphasized that her family waited 10 years in China to be able to immigrate legally. Only attending school through eighth grade, Zhou says she began working immediately and was thankful to receive a high school education in the U.S. After graduating from City College of San Francisco in the early 90s with an associate’s degree in CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Mission district festival celebrates loved ones and their lives

Preparedness for potential on-campus shootings BY ARIANNE ARCIAGA STAFF REPORTER

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ept. 19, Joseph Vicencio was arrested after firing multiple gunshots on San Jose State University’s campus. The shots caused damage to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library and parking structure. On Oct. 25, SF State student Valeria Villagomez was shot and killed near Lowell High School, just a few minutes away from the SF State campus. Shootings on college campuses are becoming more common every year. A 2016 study from the Citizens Crime Commission CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Wounded alumnus returns home from Philippines

World Series: Pg. 8 Day of the Dead: Pg.4 Brandon Lee Pg. 2

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