Spring 2014 Issue 13

APRIL 30, 2014

A TIMELINE OF THE TURBULENT BEGINNINGS OF THE ETHNIC STUDIES DEPARTMENT

ISSUE 13 VOLUME LXXXXVIII GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG SERVING THE SAN FRANCISCO STATE COMMUNITY SINCE 1927

READ ABOUT THE RADICAL PAST ON PAGE 2

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ETHNIC STUDIES BATTLES CUTBACKS

SPEECH: Gabriela SegoviaMcGahan, an administrative analyst specialist of American Indian and Latino/ Latina studies, speaks to the crowd at a demonstration to bring attention to possible budget constraints from the CSU system in front of the Ethnic Studies and Psychology Building Wednesday, April 23.

RACHEL ASTON / XPRESS

BY CHLOE JOHNSON | chloej@mail.sfsu.edu

Budget cuts across the California State University system may threaten the future of ethnic studies.

In response, students and faculty gathered at a rally organized by CSU

Students for Quality Education in front of the Ethnic Studies and Psychology Building April 23 to speak in protection of the Ethnic Studies Department.

RALLY CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Gay students claim rejection from frat is discrimination

W

HARMONY: Director Ja Ronn Thompson rehearses with the Gator Gospel choir before their 10-year anniversary concert in the Annex Saturday, April 26.

BY CHRIS SANCHEZ | sanchezc@mail.sfsu.edu

hen Derek Mora became a candidate for an SF State fraternity, he had no idea falling in love with another candidate might affect his chances of being accepted into the fraternity.

“The fraternity seemed great. They seemed like they were about education, community service and giving back to the community and those were some of the reasons why I decided to try to become part of this organization,” Mora said.

Mora was a candidate for Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity in 2012 and over the next year and a half he completed a long list of tasks, such as event organizing, the fraternity assigns to all of its candidates before they are admitted.

While acting as the lead organizer for a group of candidates he met David Worden, FRATERNITY CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

JESSICA CHRISTIAN / XPRESS

Choir celebrates 10th anniversary

BY ANGELICA WILLIAMS | anwms@mail.sfsu.edu

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@XpressNews

Ten years in the making, SF State’s first gospel choir’s anniversary concert featured returning alumni alongside a new group of talented student singers.

The campus got its own taste of

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church with a night of dancing and singing along SF State’s own Gospel Gators choir this past Saturday, April 26.

THEY CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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APRIL 30, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

A SHORT HISTORY OF ETHNIC STUDIES

NOW

NOVEMBER 1,

RALLY DRAWS SUPPORTERS FOR ETHNIC STUDIES DEPARTMENT

1968

President Robert Smith was forced by the trustees to suspend the SF State English instructor and Black Panther Minister of Education after he said that black students should bring guns to campus to protect themselves from white racist administrators.

DECEMBER 3,

1968

As the strike continued, the worst violence in college history happened with 31 arrests, 9 injured and many students beaten. The biggest demonstration yet involved 3,500 people in a peaceful manner.

NOVEMBER 3,

JANUARY 6,

All classes were cancelled and Smith held an open discussion with the campus comunity as an attempt to resolve the issues.

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) officially go on strike in support of the students for another two and a half months.

1968 1969 MARCH 20,

1969 A joint agreement was signed concerning the resolution of the 15 demands and other issues arising from the student strike at San Francisco State College.

NOVEMBER 7,

MARCH 20,

President Smith ordered a State of Emergency after strikers continued to use harassing tactics.

Along with many of the settlements made, the College of Ethnic Studies was born.

1968 1969

RACHEL ASTON / XPRESS

INSPIRING: Students gather at the Richard Oakes Memorial Library in the Cesar Chavez Student Center to listen to Gabriela Segovia-McGahan, an administrative analyst specialist of American Indian Studies and Latino/Latina studies, during a movie screening about the creation of the Ethnic Studies Department at SF State Wednesday, April 23.

system have seen cuts. Last semester, San Jose State University proposed getting rid Several SF State students and professors of their African American Studies Departvocalized why they believed the major is ment and folding it into sociology, accordnot only still needed, but is more important ing to Megan Emme, another member of than ever.

SQE. Ethnic Studies students and faculty “The country is not in support of ethnic members said that these classes allow stustudies programs,” said Laureen Chew, dents from ethnic minority groups to learn Associate Dean of the College of Ethnic about their own history and gave students Studies. “That’s not a stretch of anyone’s the chance to learn about cultures other than imagination. The latest one had to do with their own. people in my generation retiring. I think SF State student Eleazar Malaban the system thought ‘oh, maybe it’s time to knows what it’s like to expedownsize these programs.’” rience racism firsthand. While SF State was the first unigrowing up in Manteca, Calif., versity in the country to have he was bullied because of his a college for ethnic studies, Filipino heritage. which was started to meet the “I was made fun of every demands of a student strike in We would like day for being Filipino,” said 1968. The strike was organized to believe that Malabar, who is the political by the Black Student Union affairs coordinator of Pilipino we are in a and the Third World Liberation American Collegiate Endeavor post civil rights Front, according to Chew.

(PACE). “Why? I don’t know, “It was a very different movement. We time in the sense that you had but it made me hate myself.

My whole world was changed are not. the Civil Rights Movement by my first Ethnic Studies and government supporting Andrew Jolivette, class,” he said. “This is why things like the War on Poverty.

AMERICAN INDIAN we really do need Ethnic There was a whole movement STUDIES CHAIR Studies.” to correct past wrongs,” said Jocelyn Polanco, a memChew. “One of the main deber of SQE, believes that the low priority mands (of the strike) was to have a school placed on Ethnic Studies is part of a larger of ethnic studies with professors of those trend of universities focusing more on backgrounds.”

STEM classes, at the expense of liberal arts.

Phil Klasky, a lecturer of American In“STEM” is an acronym, which refers to a dian Studies at SF State was at the rally not movement by schools to focus on science, only to defend Ethnic Studies, but also to technology, engineering and mathematics promote teaching it at the high school level. courses.

“When high school students learn their As a smaller discipline, Ethnic Studies own history, their graduation levels skyis often one of the first to receive cuts, acrocket,” Klasky said. cording to Polanco. SF State is still the only Several students and faculty at the rally university in the U.S. to have a dedicated emphasized that they believe race still matCollege of Ethnic Studies. ters in the U.S., and for that reason, ethnic “College has become something where studies classes are still needed. people go just to get a job,” said Polanco.

“We would like to believe that we are “They try to push us out as fast as possible. in a post-civil rights moment. We are not,” People think (Ethnic Studies) is not needed said Andrew Jolivette, chair of the Ameras much.” ican Indian Studies Department. “This is While the College of Ethnic Studies at not just about race. Ultimately, it’s about SF State, is not currently in jeopardy of beculture.” ing discontinued, other schools in the CSU CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT PAGE

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INTERACTIVE TIMELINE PHOTOS COURTESY OF SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY JOURNALISM DEPARTMENT

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APRIL 30, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

3

ASI veteran clinches presidential seat

T

he official results of the 2014 Associated Students Inc. Board of Directors election are in, and Kenneth Collins will serve as the new ASI President.

“We are the voice of students,” said Collins. “If we’re not getting their voices, we’re not doing our job.”

Collins says he not only wants to be the voice for students, but to have better outreach for students and encourage greater communication with SF State President Leslie E. Wong.

“I want to know what the University is planning,” said Collins, “I want to know what the University is doing.”

His plans for next semester also include forming a

RYAN LEIBRICH / XPRESS

goldengatexpress.org

PRESIDENT: Kenneth Collins discusses his plans for the future as ASI President during an interview Monday, April 21.

BY EMILIA ROSALES | eer@mail.sfsu.edu

synergy, or union, between ASI and the Cesar Chavez Student Center Governing Board.

ASI and the Student Center are both comprised of a student majority. Collins’ goal is to join the two student governing boards into one.

“The synergy is taking the two student auxiliaries and bringing them together, so you have one enhanced student auxiliary,” Collins said.

During his campaign, Collins and a few other candidates joined together and formed the Voices United team.

A future goal of the Voices United team is to get transit passes for students, which is an idea Muni is open to, according to Wong.

The unofficial results of the election were announced at the Noise Complaint Dance a few weeks ago, but not confirmed until after an allotted grievance period, which is when either winning or losing candidates are allotted time to file a complaint.

Grievances were filed and had to be properly taken care of before the results could be made official.

“I don’t know the specifics of the grievances. That informa-

tion really doesn’t get disseminated out to everyone,” said Raul Amaya, the Interim Director at ASI. “But I know there were grievances filed and I believe they off-centered around campaigning around the dorms, but I’m not sure. The ASI policy is that you have to follow the rules and regulations of the University while campaigning.”

Collins has been part of ASI for four years, and two of those years were on the Board of ASI as an executive member.

He also worked for Project Connect, an outreach program through ASI, for one year and was an intern with Project Connect the previous year.

“Having a positive leader like Kenny being the President of Associated Students will ensure that our Associated Students run professionally,” said Sonya Soltani, the ASI Vice President of External Affairs. “I don’t know anyone that could implement those changes confidentially and professionally like Kenny Collins would.”

The new 2014 ASI Board of Directors will be sworn in at the annual ASI inauguration May 5 at 5:30 p.m. in Jack Adams Hall.

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4

XPRESS YOURSELF

WE ASKED SF STATE STUDENTS:

How would you feel if Ethnic Studies was cut?

“

I would be outraged. The students and school worked so hard to get it here.

HANIKKA MUNA, FRESHMAN BIOLOGY

“

It’d be mixed feelings of confusion and frustration; probably 80 percent upset and 20 percent confused.

Being in 2014, you think it wouldn’t even be discussed.

DWAYNE HIBBERT, SOPHOMORE BROADCAST JOURNALISM

“

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APRIL 30, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

As far as taking classes, it doesn’t affect me because I’m in a different department.

GRACE SAMISH, SENIOR

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Photos by: Annastashia Goolsby Reporting by: Emilia Rosales

Alternative transit exhibit tours campus

A

BY JAYDA MCCLENDON | jmcclend@mail.sfsu.edu

group of bike riding instructors and sustainability strategists toured SF State for the first time Thursday, giving students the opportunity to learn about alternative forms of transportation.

“Our goal is to present a holistic approach toward sustainability for students and faculty,” said Antonio Capretta, the owner of Toward Route Zero, a college sustainability tour that showcases innovations in transportation.

Capretta hoped that the exhibit, which was hosted in partnership with Sustainable SF State, would excite students who are not normally interested in sustainability.

“The tour is introducing new choices, providing information of the capabilities of these innovations, and hopefully inspiring new perspectives regarding the future of our planet,” Capretta said.

The exhibit, held in front of the Student Services Building, toured six Northern California colleges and universities last week and the week before, including Stanford University, Santa Clara University, UC Davis, UC Merced and Sonoma State University.

Sharon Daraphonhdepth, a sustainability strategist at the Cesar Chavez Student Center, said that she thinks the event shows SF State’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gases and eliminating dependence on fossil fuels.

“Though we encourage biking and public transportation here on campus, seeing other alternatives such as electric cars and bikes, adds an extra cool factor to eco-friendly transportation options,” said Daraphonhdepth.

SF State’s Parking and Transportation Department does not keep track of statistics concerning all the bikes on campus, but on average 150 people use the campus Bike Barn per day, and due to high demand, the University recently installed new bike racks with plans to add more in the future.

Erik West, the founder of Meet Your Bike said that SF State was one of the most engaging campuses that the Toward Route Zero Tour visited last week.

RYAN LEIBRICH / XPRESS

CRUISING: Erik West, sustainability specialist at Route Zero, skates past students on an electric-powered skateboard near the Student Services Building Thursday, April 24.

“We had hundreds of students interested in the topic and displays at most campuses,” said West. “SF State brought us a wide variety of ages and –therefore – questions from global impacts, to commutes, to biking with kids.”

West mentioned that the varieties of bikes are meant to show how they can accommodate students’ personal needs now or as their needs change in the future.

One of the bikes featured during the event was the GenZe, which speeds up to 30 mph and includes a spacious storage bin for carrying items and a charger for phones, tablets and laptops.

The bike also allows students to remove its portable battery for convenient charging.

“When students make buying decisions in the future, they will know that these eco-friendlier options exist and they are less likely to go and buy a regular car,” said West.

Toward Route Zero is planning an extended tour of schools and corporate campuses.

Fraternity denies alleged discrimination CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT PAGE

who was secretary of the same group.

They both coordinated several successful fundraising and social events for the organization to prove themselves to the fraternity’s leaders.

Mora and Worden eventually entered into a relationship, but decided to keep it private from the organization. Mora and Worden later disclosed their relationship to the members after a short time.

“If we came out to them as a couple we thought it would compromise the way they would view us,” Mora said. “It could be because of our orientation, but more so because of our personal life.”

When it was time for the fraternity to make their decision in November 2013, neither Mora nor Worden received an offer. Fraternity leaders alleged that they denied their admittance due to a lack of connection with the rest of the members despite his involvement in the organization, Mora said.

However, Mora and Worden claim their romantic relationship within the organization led to their rejection.

“I hope the school will take this more seriously and action will be taken because it’s not right what they’re doing. Don’t let them off with a warning. It’s discrimination — flat out discrimination,” Mora said.

Secretary of the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity Shane Colombo had similar concerns about his acceptance into his

fraternity because of his relationship with another member. “(My sexuality) was a concern when I joined because fraternities are tied to things that are usually heteronormative,” Colombo said. “When it comes to obligations, meetings or anything involved with the fraternity my partner and I are brothers first. It really depends on the individual whether or not they can prove that.”

The recruitment process for fraternities varies, but most last a few weeks.

Colombo described Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity’s year and a half long process as “intensive.”

“The point of joining a fraternity is to grow as a person within it and if half the time you just work to prove yourself then it just defeats the purpose,” Colombo said.

Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity President Alejandro Mendoza denied the allegations, but would not disclose the circumstances regarding Mora and Worden’s denial into the organization.

“Lambda Theta Phi has a very strong non-discriminatory policy that we adhere by very closely,” Mendoza said in an emailed statement. “The organization prides itself on being inclusive of persons from all walks of life.”

After being denied entrance into the fraternity, Mora filed a complaint with Sarah Bauer, director of Student Involvement and Career Center. Bauer manages student-run organizations for the University, but Mora did not receive any

information about an investigation into the incident.

Xpress made several attempts to contact Bauer who was unable to be reached for comment.

Bryan Kaufman, who investigates sexual assault, harassment and discrimination cases for the University also declined to comment and would not disclose whether an investigation was being conducted into the matter.

According to the California State University Student Conduct Procedures into an allegation of discrimination, the University and Office of Student Conduct officials must conduct an investigation involving all individuals. Violation of the CSU Student Code of Conduct can result in probation, suspension and even expulsion, among other sanctions.

According to Mendoza, the University is currently investigating the issue.

“We are confident that the University’s investigation will absolve the chapter of any wrongdoing,” Mendoza said.

Executive Director of Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Byron Bustos, said the organization launched a review into the incident in January and did not find any evidence of the allegations. According to him, the University did not respond to the organization’s inquiries about the allegations earlier this year.

According to Bustos, the fraternity does not have any policy on relationships between students involved in the organization.

Arts & Entertainment

APRIL 30, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

5

Students welcome true faces of hip-hop

S

BY KYLE DA SILVA | kdasilva@mail.sfsu.edu

tudents might expect a hip-hop class to focus on top 40 hits, but an SF State course went underground with a special lecture that included satire, interdisciplinary art, education and its cultural evolution.

The panel invited different stories and perspectives from interdisciplinary artist Jean Grae, hip-hop author and educator, Adam Mansbach and DJ Kuttin Kandi Wednesday, April 23.

Grae, the prolific New York City-based actress, author, comedian and emcee, has released five albums, three episodes of her comedy show “Life with Jeannie” and a book since last October.

“I don’t want to pick just one thing, that’s boring,” said Grae. “I don’t consider myself any of those one entities.”

“She’s a renaissance woman,” said Davey D. “She’s a musician, actress, comedian – what can I say, an all-around good woman.”

Reared in an artistic household, Grae grew up with two parents rooted in the New York City jazz scene. She learned about

dealing with record labels and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. She knew she wouldn’t be signing any predatory contracts.

“Jean owns all her stuff for all time,” Grae joked about herself.

Mansbach, author of what he called the first obscene fake children’s book, “Go the Fuck to Sleep,” addressed the evolution of hip-hop from a social movement rooted in emcees, b-boys, DJs and graffiti artists into a second generation of hip-hop academics, literature, spoken-word poetry and commercial hip-hop.

“When graffiti artists in New York were waging war on the city’s subways, the bridge and tunnel commuters were scared,” said Mansbach. “There was a political conversation going on that they couldn’t understand.”

Even with that fear, educating with contemporary hip-hop is still manageable.

“You have to meet kids where they are,” he said. “Whatever they’re listening to you can turn them into an active listener. You can look at misogyny, marketing, selling culture.”

RYAN LEIBRICH / XPRESS

Q&A: Jean Grae and Adam Mansbach speaks with students at a hip-hop workshop class in HSS 135 Wednesday, April 23.

Now, there is a hip-hop course in every university with an African studies program, according to Davey D. “You don’t get a semester on Kanye,” said Abdi Muse, a teacher’s assistant of the class. “Its what you least expect. You end up understanding some political and cultural aspects that you’ve never thought about.”

Mansbach’s 2005 debut novel, “Angry White Black Boy,”

discusses racial tension and white guilt in the United States. In the novel, a white teenager from New York is so overridden with white guilt that he launches a militant campaign against white people and white privilege.

“People don’t understand that its satire,” he said. “Back then satire was a great vehicle for discussion but nowadays the world is so absurd that it satirizes itself.”

Kandi, the first female to

make it to the US DMC DJ competition, celebrated the trans-racial aspects of hip-hop, passed around her book “Empire of Funk: Hip-Hop and Representation of Filipino/a America” and reminded the class that Jay Z’s first DJ, Neil Armstrong, was Filipino.

Grae will be performing at Oakland’s New Parish theatre on Thursday, April 24 with Oakland’s own BPOS and DJ Davey D.

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APRIL 30, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

Arts & Entertainment

They keep singing CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT PAGE

Alumnus JaRonn Thompson formed the choir in the spring of 2004 when he was just a freshman. He recalls walking around one day, wondering if there was a gospel choir at SF State. “I remember hearing a voice – specifically God – saying, ‘We’ll start one,’” he said, after realizing that there wasn’t one already.

Thompson brought the idea up with his voice lecturer, Professor Dianthe Spencer, and asked for her help in producing the choir. Thompson made a petition and began walking around Malcolm X Plaza, gathering around 100 signatures, which he then showed to Spencer.

Thompson followed up the petition with a performance of “Amazing Grace” with seven other singers, for which they did not have much time to practice.

Spencer agreed to be their faculty advisor.

When the choir was just starting, Thompson said that, “A lot of it just happened by word of mouth and through the people’s excitement that were involved in it.” He wanted to present something new to the campus that would be more exciting for students to actively be involved in.

Mike Blankenship, an alumnus who joined the choir in his second semester, said, “I heard little rumblings when I was walking in the hallway, hearing them sing ‘Don’t Cry’ by Kirk Franklin.” He stumbled upon the choir practice at a time when, at chance, Blankenship was taking piano lessons to learn gospel music.

The choir has grown significantly since the first year, from just seven members to a now

PRATICING: (TOP) Mac Beckman (left) and Johanns Jingco rehearse for the Gator Gospel choir’s 10-year anniversary concert in the Annex Monday, April 21.

(ABOVE) Alexis Greig, a SF State and Gator Gospel alumna, performs on stage during the 10-year anniversary Gator Gospel Choir concert in the Annex Saturday, April 26.

(RIGHT) Members of the Gator Gospel choir perform during their 10-year anniversary concert in the Annex Saturday, April 26.

A lot of it just happened by word of mouth and through the people’s excitement.

JaRonn Thompson, GATOR CHOIR FOUNDER

it out booming size of more than 70 singers. The choir continues to grow each year. Thompson and Blankenship hold auditions two weeks after the beginning of each semester in the student center for two days, letting students perform 60 seconds of a song. “(We are) teaching them to live with passion, no fear, to be able to be kind to people, to be able to agree to disagree,” said Thompson, because not everyone in the choir is a Christian, and they welcome everyone no matter their religious background.

The night was filled with praise songs that have become part of the lineup over the ten years the choir has been together.

The audience members were on their feet, joining in by clapping to the lyrics.

During a short break between songs, Thompson and Blankenship took a moment to give

PHOTOS BY JESSICA CHRISTIAN / XPRESS

recognition and thanks to lifetime members, like Leslie White and Jeremy Gibson, and band members that were supportive of the group when they were first starting.

Torri Bryant, who came out because her nephew is in the choir, said “I thought it was good and excellent. Nice outing to hear good gospel music live.”

The choir mixed it up with a number of Michael Jackson hits, filling the stage with singing and dancing. They invited audience members to join in and have fun with them.

Despite the gospel choir being a bit of a secret to much of the student body, Thompson said he believes a few do know about the choir. “I would like everyone to know, my goal is to have everyone on campus know we have a gospel choir.”

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APRIL 30, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

Sports P R E V I E W

PHOTO BY RACHEL ASTON / XPRESS

DETERMINATION: (From left) Brionne Baucham, Hilary King, Janesha Anthony, and Maya Cabiness pose on the track at SF State Monday, April 28. They are on the relay team competing this Thursday at the California Collegiate Athletic Association championships.

F

or Michelle Chung, sophomore discus and hammer thrower, things got a little strange at practice last week when she forgot how to throw.

“I took a week off because something got a little weird...I don’t know what happened. I kept throwing it over the fence where it’s not supposed to go,” she said. “I’m trying to be calm because I always psych myself out, especially if it’s something this important...I always mess up at important meets.”

She said she is trying to keep her mind off of this slight roadblock to keep doing what she does best. This week her and the rest of the Gators track and field team will focus on some much needed time for themselves, as they set their sights on the upcoming CCAA conference championships in La Jolla, Calif. May 1 - 3.

Junior Hilary King said she has just recently gotten very nervous also as the end of the season draws near.

“Little things make me nervous, when (I thought) ‘Ah, it’s happening’,” King said. “It feels like yesterday we went to Boise in January...it went by really fast, but it is exciting.”

King pays close attention to her body for any signs of strain and will keep perfecting her event performance.

“It’s more about taking care of yourself this week and a lot of rehab if anything little hurts,” King said. “Practice isn’t going to be too tough...it’s more about techniques and skills.”

And for head coach Tom Lyons, he said he has shrugged off the Gators’ less than impressive performance in rainy Berkeley this past weekend at the Brutus Hamilton Invitational as he looks ahead to conference champs in a few short days.

TRACK TEAM EYES TOP PLACE FINISH IN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

BY HALEY BRUCATO | hbrucato@mail.sfsu.edu

I know what I can do, and the thought of having one last meet to do it all is what drives me.

Ashley Black, TRACK ATHLETE

“You never know what’s going to happen with the other teams and your athletes,” Lyons said. “We have to make sure we’re prepared as (best) we can be.”

Last year, SF State placed fifth, but this year, Lyons said he hopes to compete with Pomona and Stanislaus for a top three finish.

There will be 17 gators representing SF State, and Lyons said he expects several to be in the final events.

“As the season has gone along it has been getting more and more exciting about how well we can do,” Lyons said.

For the women, there will be a total of nine teams involved, and the top three placers in each event will be named to the All-Conference team.

And for NCAA Division II National Championships at the end of this month, Maya Cabiness in the 400 hurdle and Hilary King in the long jump are making their way up the list, so Lyons said it is promising that there will be a few Gators in Nationals as well.

“We are trying to make sure everyone is healthy and can get to the starting line rested and feeling good,” Lyons added. “The main thing now is not getting too excited about it but to make sure (they’re) prepared.”

For sophomore Ashley Black who is competing in the heptathlon, she said she can only trust her hard work that she has put into the season so far. The Gators have already done all the grueling physical work that was possible over the past few months, so now all that remains is one final mental preparation.

“I know what I can do, and the thought of having one last meet to do it all is what drives me,” Black said. “To get it all on the field and leave it there with no regrets.”

Sports

APRIL 30, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

9

SOFTBALL

Senior day ceremony marred by shutouts

BY MICHAEL DURAN michaeld@mail.sfsu.edu

hat was supposed to be a celebration for the softball seniors was spoiled by rivals Sonoma State, shutting out SF State in both games Saturday, 8-0 and 6-0.

It was not the way the Gators wanted to send off their seniors as they were only able to muster three hits combined in both games.

But their gloomy performance on the field did nothing to damper the festivities for the seniors.

A walkway composed of the entire softball team, about ten on each side, awaited graduating seniors Kylie Grabowski and Kelsey Murakami to make their final entrance on the field.

Hugs, smiles, and a whole bunch of flowers showered the two seniors.

It would be the last time for Grabowski and Murakami to sport a Gator jersey.

“I wanted to do really good

GATORS HONOR THEIR TWO SENIORS WITH SONG AND FLOWERS BEFORE SEASON FINALE DOUBLEHEADER AGAINST SONOMA STATE.

TONY SANTOS / XPRESS

SWAN SONG: SF State Gator Kelsey Murakami hugs her teammates as they give her flowers during the senior celebration ceremony before the first game of a double header against the Sonoma State Seawolves at SF State Saturday, April 26.

because it was the last time,” said Grabowski. “It was more like, I (didn’t) want to choke.”

Just before the game started, the whole team gathered behind home plate when “If I Could Turn Back Time” by Cher started playing while the team began to serenade the two seniors.

Cut-outs of Murakami’s face were littered throughout the Gators cheering section.

Murakami’s family had made these and handed them out to family and friends.

Every time Murakami would go up to bat, those faces would be up and moving around.

“It was so embarrassing,” said Murakami. “I couldn’t even look at them or I would let go of the bat.”

Murakami, a sociology major, ends the year with a .317 batting average and leads the team in walks with 24. She has played in 188 games in her career and

started 177 of them.

Grabowski concludes her Gator career playing 129 games, starting in 115. She ends her senior year with two home runs and a .140 batting average.

The loss of both the players will be tough for head coach Cristina Byrne.

“Losing two ballplayers like them is hard,” said Byrne. “You know, it’s going to be weird not seeing their faces out there on the field next season, I’m going to miss them.”

Coach Byrne spent numerous road trips with Grabowski, Byrne would drive the van and she remembers distinctly that Grabowski sat behind her in the back.

“We shared a lot of stories on road trips together because I would talk to her while she was in the back,” said Byrne. “I got to know her as a person.”

The Gators finished off the season with a 10-26 record in the CCAA, and though the season is done, Grabowski left her teammates with a few thoughts.

“Enjoy it, don’t think about the pressure or anything,” she said. “Just go out there and try to do your best and hopefully it works out.”

10

Opinion

APRIL 30, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

INMATE HEALTHCARE

Mental illness treatment is vital ANDREW CULLEN

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF culle010@mail.sfsu.edu

JORDAN HUNTER

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BY NELSON AMAYA slenon44@mail.sfsu.edu

They deserve to rot in jail; not a single penny should be wasted on them; it won’t make a difference. We’ve all heard these sayings before — but none of them are true.

In 2012, more than 300,000 severely ill inmates were in jails and prisons that were neither equipped nor staffed to handle such problems, according to a 2014 report by the Treatment Advocacy Center, a nonprofit advocacy organization.

Today, only 35,000 individuals with severe mental illness are found in mental health hospitals, a number that continues to dwindle as states continue to scale back such hospitals.

ART BY JORDAN CERMINARA “But they deserve to rot in blind eye is not a solution. jail.”

“But it won’t make a differDue to the closure of many ence.” mental health hospitals and the Treatment is necessary often lack of resources to treat for mentally ill individuals to severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, these individuals prevent their condition and symptoms from getting worse. have prison and jails as their Without it, the cycle of going only option. in and out of prison and even According to the TAC fatal results will continue. The report, mentally ill inmates effects of abuse and solitary “are often raped or otherwise confinement can have tragic victimized, disproportionately effects on mentally ill inmates. held in solitary confinement According to Human and frequently attempt suicide.

Rights Watch, a non-governBecause treatment of mental mental advocacy organization, illness is often not available “suicides occur proportionately behind bars, symptoms often get worse, sometimes leading to more often in segregation units than elsewhere in prison. All self-mutilation.” too frequently, mentally ill prisWith severely mentally ill oners decompenindividuals making sate in isolation, up 16 percent of all requiring crisis inmates and rising, care or psychiatric jails and prisons are hospitalization.” slowly but surely Cases such transforming into as mentally ill internment camps inmates in Tamms to house them.

Videotapes showed Correctional Center “But a single penny shouldn’t be prison guards using in Illinois highlight issue of solitary wasted on them.” chemical grenades the confinement.

According to and dousing According to the TAC, “these Solitary Watch, a individuals are inmates with web-based project, often incarcerated pepper spray. in 2009, Robert with misdemeanor Foor was placed charges but somein isolation and times with felony The Huffington Post became more mencharges as a result in an article on tally ill, mutilated of behaviors caused California prisons himself by cutting by their psychotic and biting and thinking.” attempted to hang himself.

Earlier this month, a Another Tamms inmate, federal judge ruled that CaliforAnthony Gay, “cut off a part of nia’s treatment of mentally ill his genitalia, which a physician inmates was unconstitutional, identified as ‘possibly a testicle’ according to a Huffington Post and hung it from a string tied to article. his cell door.”

Videotapes showed prison These are prime examples guards using chemical grenades that providing mental health and dousing inmates with pepcare for inmates with severe per spray in isolated units for mental illnesses could make a refusing to take their medicatremendous difference. tion. Currently prisons and jails Regardless of whether you do not have the money to treat like it or not, these individuals severely mentally ill inmates, forcing them to rely on barbaric rejoining society isn’t just a plausibility, it is reality. methods to handle them.

It is in everyone’s best Anyone with a shred of interest that they be given the human decency should be able to see that we need to be willing treatment necessary to prevent to spend to eliminate such a rap- them from becoming a danger idly growing problem. Casting a not only to themselves but to society as well.

City residents need help first

A

BY APRIL HALOG | avhalog@mail.sfsu.edu

s more and more mental institutions close down, prisons and jails have become the new asylums. When it comes to mentally ill people, there seems to be only two places where they end up: in jail or on the streets.

According to a study conducted by the Bureau of Justice, 56 percent of state prisoners, 45 percent of federal prisoners and 64 percent of local jail inmates were found to have a mental disorder. This means that more than half of all prison and jail inmates suffer from mental health problems.

Many argue that it is the inmate’s mental condition that led them to commit a crime in the first place and that they should still face the consequences like everybody else; but instead of throwing them away in a prison cell, they should be placed in an intensive treatment center so they can get the proper care they need.

Thousands of taxpayers’ dollars and hours of psychiatric services are being spent on mentally disturbed inmates and it needs to stop. We already have a declining education system, increasing unemployment and an excessive poverty rate that need to be addressed before criminals.

According to a 2008-2009 report from the California Legislative Analyst’s Office, it cost an average of about $47,000 per year to incarcerate an inmate in prison. Health care costs $12,442 per inmate and $1,928 goes toward psychiatric services.

Meanwhile, there are thousands of people living on the streets of our very own city who are facing mental disorders and could severely benefit from $2,000 worth of help. If we are paying to provide mental health services to strangers, then we may as well start with those who are closest to us.

Between 2009 and 2011, California cut nearly $6 million from its general funding for mental health services as reported by the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

With these ridiculous acts in place, mentally ill people are being turned away due to the lack of space.

Since it’s easier to commit a crime and get sentenced to prison than it is to get admitted into a mental clinic or institution, this might lead unstable people to start committing illegal acts just to receive medication or treatment.

On top of that, Gov. Jerry Brown’s 2012-13 budget allocated almost $1 billion more to prison spending than to colleges and universities. It’s a sad reality we live in when the government is willing to spend more money on prisoners than on students.

With tragic crimes conducted by mentally ill people such as the Ft. Hood shooting and the Newtown incident, it’s clear that a stronger mental health system is needed; and just providing services for those in prison is not the answer.

If the goal of the government is to provide a safer community, then better health services should be provided before people are sentenced to spend years in such a confined, mind-altering space.

Opinion

APRIL 30, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

Intensify competition by legalizing steroids

ART BY JORDAN CERMINARA

ALLOWING THE USE OF STEROIDS IN BASEBALL WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO THE PLAYERS, CONGRESS AND FANS.

BY CURTIS UEMURA cuemura@mail.sfsu.edu

W

ith Ryan Braun returning from a 65-game suspension and Alex Rodriguez sitting out the entire 2014 season, steroids are still seen as a major problem in Major League Baseball.

But there is a very simple strategy to stop the bleeding: Make steroids legal.

That’s right. Baseball should sponsor the use of steroids.

Baseball tried to turn a blind eye and then tried to rule with an iron fist, but neither plan worked, so why not try acceptance?

Everyone loved to watch Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa chase the homerun record in 1998. According to an article on TV by the Numbers, a Sept.

23 regular season game featuring McGwire set a Nielsen record for a Wednesday baseball game, which wasn’t broken until 2011.

Just think about the ratings to see the first man to break triple digits in a single season.

Conversely, everyone loathed watching coverage of McGwire and four other baseball

stars deny any use of steroids in front of the Congressional House’s reform committee.

With legalization that wouldn’t be a worry anymore.

Steroids aren’t just a tool to hit home runs; they help in recovery as well. HGH or Human Growth Hormone has been observed to help in aiding recovery of joint injuries, according to an article on ESPN. For sports fans, there is nothing more disappointing than to have a favorite player out for an extended amount of time with an injury. With the use of steroids, recovery time could be significantly reduced.

If that’s not enough, think about the competition level in each game. Sports fans live for the best competing against the best. With steroids, that competition would only be amplified.

If there is any doubt of this, you only need to take a look at what is considered the most famous race ever: the 1988 Olympic 100m final.

The race is still talked about and dissected today. ESPN’s 30 for 30 even produced a documentary about it in October 2012. According to the documentary, out of eight runners,

only two have never been linked to any performance enhancing drugs.

Yes, steroids come with health concerns but with baseball’s budget behind the already-developed steroid industry, the risks could be minimized.

There will obviously be moral concerns raised about cheating and being role models to children but let’s be honest with ourselves here; if any of us were offered a chance to make $50 million, we would be guzzling a bottle of HGH before the ink on the contract was even dry.

There would also be new opportunities for endorsements.

Forget Gatorade, move over Nike, say hello to syringes and personalized anabolic steroids.

But more importantly, we can all be rid of the guessing game as to which stars are or are not on the juice and the endless cycle of news featuring a new player who is being questioned about steroids.

It would also allow Congress to finally stop the interrogation of baseball players Spanish Inquisition-style and have them concentrate on more important matters.

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To legalize it would pretty much be a shame for the vision of many athletes and kids growing up.

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