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SCIENCE BUILDING
SFMTA shortens 28-bus travel time
SCIENCE BUILDING TO REOPEN
BY JENNIE BUTLER jennieb@mail.sfsu.edu
BY CHRIS SANCHEZ sanchezc@mail.sfsu.edu MICHAEL BARBA mdbarba@mail.sfsu.edu
Part of the SF State Science Building will reopen this spring after the discovery of toxic chemicals prompted its closure in January, according to SF State President Leslie E. Wong. “Remediation work is under way, and subject to no further discoveries of problems,” said Wong. “We will restore the building to partial use beginning in late April.” Faculty and staff will have access to certain offices and research labs, according to Wong. Classes will continue through the semester in alternative locations. “The decision was made to allow students to maintain the routines that are already established, and not introduce a new relocation during the semester,” said University Spokesperson Ellen Griffin. SF State is scheduled to allow faculty and staff into the three-story office wing of the Science Building in late April, and to most of the two-story lab, classroom and office wing by May 15, according to Wong. However, four chemistry labs, the chemistry stockroom and basement will need much more work and will remain closed for a minimum of one year. “The core portions of this building are more than 50 years old, and fall far short of supporting 21st century instruction and research,” said Wong. “We have not yet arrived at a longterm solution that meets the needs of our students, faculty and staff, and will continue to seek that solution.” As previously reported by Golden Gate Xpress, the University faces $203 million in necessary repairs and renovations to its campus buildings, which stems from a $1.8 billion backlog of maintenance upgrades for the entire California State University system. “We cannot grow California’s workforce of the future with outmoded and inadequate facilities,” CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White said in a statement. “Investment in facilities and technology that make learning and discovery possible is essential as we work together to improve the state of California.”
TONY SANTOS / XPRESS
LINES: Students and residents wait in line to board a 28-bus at the MUNI stop at the top of campus near 19th Avenue Tuesday, March 11.
The SFMTA is making changes to the 28 and 28L bus lines, which they hope will increase speed and efficiency. Some students and faculty can expect an easier journey to class next semester. Every day about 17,500 people ride the 28 or 28L during its route from the Daly City BART station to Fort Mason. High passenger demand and heavy traffic along 19th Ave. delay the 28 to an average speed of 9.9 mph and the 28L to 11.2 mph during peak hours, according to MUNI’s website. But beginning this summer, the 28 will no longer stop at every block. Instead, the bus will adopt the same route as the 28L. MUNI CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
‘Measure for Measure’ transforms Shakespeare
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BY ANNA HECHT | ahecht@mail.sfsu.edu
iew the gritty, sexual atmosphere of the opening dance number and you’ll know this isn’t your average school play; hear the hip-hop and R&B background music and you’ll sense that this is going to be a cool, modern take on a classic; listen to the actors’ first uttered words and thou shall knowest it is truly Shakespeare.
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MODERNIZED: Friar Lodowick, played by Alex Skinner, comforts Isabella, played by Celeste Conowitch, during the SF State theater department’s production of Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure” in the Little Theatre Wednesday, March 5. LORISA SALVATIN / XPRESS
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BY MARC ARGUELLO | margue11@mail.sfsu.edu
Miguel Gurrero, environmental studies
Vivian Abellana, political science
Giving back to the community is something that I’ve always treasured and taken pleasure in. Vivian Abellana
The election debate: April 7, 2014 The voting period for the election: April 7-11, 2014
Vivian Abellana is a junior majoring in Political Science who would like to carry on the work of the current administration. She says that the energy of the active student body on campus inspired her to run more than anything. She describes herself as very positive and spirited candidate, as someone who will put her best foot forward to represent the campus. “I find it enjoyable to reach out with students and help them, and be a leader and representative on their behalf,” Abellana said. “Giving back to the community is something that I’ve always treasured and taken pleasure in.”
Miguel Gurrero is the current health and social sciences director for ASI. He has been with ASI for a year and is currently one of the students working on the Strategic Planning Committee. He is an environmental studies major, with a concentration in environmental sustainability and social justice. One of his primary focuses if he is elected will be ensuring that students have access to affordable transportation. He is a delegate for the California State Student Association, which is comprised of student government from all 23 CSU schools. “A lot of students feel disconnected with the decision making process,” Gurrero said. “I’d like to get students connected to all the decisions being made on campus and ensure that the student voice isn’t ignored.”
ASI Candidates:
Get to know who’s running for president THE FOUR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES EXPLAIN THEIR PLATFORMS FOR THE UPCOMING ELECTION.
I’d like to get students connected to all the decisions being made on campus and ensure that the student voice isn’t ignored. Miguel Gurrero
The results of the election: April 12, 2014
Marco Fuentes, kinesiology and Raza studies
Kenneth Collins, communications
The students need to regain their privilege of maintaining and operating the services that are rightfully theirs. Marco Fuentes
Marco Fuentes is a junior majoring in kinesiology and Raza studies. He has been working with the La Raza student organization, which often a vocal advocate for students rights on campus. He says that through this organization he has learned to operate collectively by being open and critical about people’s ideas, but working towards a common goal. Working with La Raza has given him a unique perspective on the issue of student’s rights on campus. “There has been a drought in student advocacy in ASI,” Fuentes said. “The students need to regain their privilege of maintaining and operating the services that are rightfully theirs.” ASI elections begin on April 7, and run through April 11.
Kenneth Collins has been working with Associated Students, Inc. for four years. He joined his freshmen year and believes that honesty is the most essential part of being a leader. Collins says he will keep students informed and will make sure they are represented on campus. He has been on ASI Board of Directors for two years. He worked in ASI’s Project Connect for a year, and before that he was an intern with the program. He is a communications major. “I think ASI needs a strong leader,” Collins said. “Someone who will be able to help with the synergy between ASI and the student center. I know that I have the experience to be able to make sure that this is a smooth transition.”
I know that I have the experience to be able to help with synergy between ASI and the Student Center. Kenneth Collins
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XPRESS YOURSELF WE ASKED SF STATE STUDENTS:
This summer, the 28-bus will eliminate about half of its stops. How will PACKED. Sophomore kinesology major Rodney Torres boards a 28-bus at the stop near the top of campus on 19th Avenue heading toward Fort Mason Monday, March 10. TONY SANTOS / XPRESS
MUNI will eliminate some stops on 28-bus route CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT PAGE
According to SFMTA Service Planning Manager Jeff Flynn, more buses and more rapid transit time means improved service reliability and safer passenger loading and drop-off. The 28 will stop at every other block between Lincoln Way and Juniperro Serra Blvd. The 28L will decrease passenger pick up and drop off to only major destinations and transfer points, including Judah St., Taraval St., Winston Dr. and Holloway Ave. The SFMTA will move several bus stops on 19th Avenue to the far end of the intersection and reprogram traffic signals to hold a green light when a bus is approaching, allowing buses to pass through
the intersection before pulling over. Busses will also arrive every nine minutes instead of every 10 minutes, with the hope of increasing the 28’s average operating speed to 12.2 mph, and 12.7 mph for the 28L during peak hours. Student riders, such as Devon Trunk are excited about the changes. “I have classes late at night” the dance major said, “I would like to see a bus come more than once every 20 minutes.” MUNI’s changes to the 28, or the “19th Avenue Time Reduction Proposal,” is part of the “Transit Effectiveness Project,” SFMTA’s ongoing overhaul of San Francisco’s public transportation system. The project aims to connect San Francisco’s neighborhoods by transporting more people on crosstown lines, like the
28, rather than downtown lines. This is MUNI’s first improvement project in more than 30 years, but not everyone is happy with the changes. “I think we should keep the 28 as it is now,” said Amy Huang, a business and marketing major, who rides the bus to class every day from Geary Blvd. “Skipping every other block would cause more crowding at major bus stops.” SFMTA also plans to ease the 29 bus’ midday congestion caused by A.P. Giannini Middle School and Lakeshore Alternative Elementary students, according to Flynn. The agency will hold a community feedback meeting regarding the 19th Ave. Time Reduction Proposal at SF State in April. The date has yet to be determined.
Green students build eco-friendly bench BY CHLOE JOHNSON chloej@mail.sfsu.edu
The Environmentally Concerned Organization of Students (ECO Students) has plans to build a bench out of re-used materials, called an “Earthbench,” behind Thornton Hall. ECO Students president Tyler Wescott intends for the bench to be a symbol of sustainability and the ways in which waste can be re-used. The Earthbench, which the ECO Students plan to work on between March 21 and April 22, will have an inner core made from plastic “bottle bricks” filled with non-biodegradable trash, and an outer layer of sand, clay and straw, according to Wescott. “We waste a lot as a society as a whole,” said Wescott. “Trash that would just sit in a landfill can be used. This is something of use, and something that’s aesthetically pleasing. It gives back to the campus.” The building of the Earthbench is part of a larger sustainability movement at SF State. Student volunteers collected a large portion of the trash being used to construct the bricks from bins in the Cesar Chavez Student Center, according to Sustainable Initiatives Coordinator Sharon Daraphonhdeth. “Instead of ending up in the landfill,
these materials are going into this Earthbench, which I think is awesome,” said Daraphonhdeth. “It’s really Instead of more like a philosophy of ending up in a how you use landfill, these materials.” materials are UC Dagoing into this vis alumus Brennan Blazer Earthbench. Bird, who runs Sharon the Peace On Daraphonhdeth, Earthbench SUSTAINABLE Movement, INITIATIVE developed the COORDINATOR concept of Earthbenches. More than 40 Earthbenches have already been built in over 10 countries, according to Bird. While Bird didn’t invent bottle bricks, he did come up with the idea of using them as an inner core for the benches. The outer material is called “cob,” and has been used in building structures for thousands of years, according to Wescott.
“I learned about bottle bricks in 2009 at a music festival in Santa Rosa,” said Bird. “After seeing houses and school buildings built with these bottles stuffed full of trash, I became inspired to try it myself. Earthbenches are a great way to practice this building technique on a smaller scale.” ECO Students first learned about the benches from a club member who had attended Lowell High School, which has three Earthbenches, according to Wescott. Last year, members of the club went to Zero Waste Youth Convergence at San Francisco City College, an event for students and young people who are involved with the zero waste movement in the city. There, they saw a workshop on how to make the benches and decided that they wanted to make one for the SF State campus, said Wescott. The project, which costs $500 from ASI funding, involves several other student groups on campus. The ECO Students are planning for the area centered on the Earthbench to include a garden of local plants and to serve as an outdoor education area. The bench will be painted with a tree design that represents the passing of the seasons, according to Wescott. “It’s going to add to the aesthetic of the campus,” said Wescott. “It will be a legacy for sustainability at SF State.”
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I would actually like it. Less stops along the way would speed up my commute. But I don’t live here, and I don’t know how it would affect locals. DANIEL TIRRE, 22 HISTORY
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That would really suck because I live at 27th and Quintara. I already have to walk eight blocks, and I have a lot of books in my backpack. I would probably just start riding my bike.
BRITTANY BARCELLOS, 23 BECA
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It doesn’t really affect me, but I feel like it’s going to affect other people. I don’t think it’s going to make it faster. It’s going to make public transportation more inconvenient for people. MICHELLE BEERL, 24 MUSEUM STUDIES
Photos by: Ryan Leibrich Reporting by: Chloe Johnson
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PHOTOS BY LORISA SALVATIN / XPRESS
3D PRINTING: (Left) Information Systems Professor Sameer Verma removes some excess PLA filament from the Printrbot Jr.’s nozzle before demonstrating how it prints a 3D object during his Managing Enterprise Networks class Monday, March 10. (Top) The Printrbot Jr. uses melted PLA filaments to make a 3D print of Starfleet Insignia symbol from Star Trek.
College of Business invests in 3D printing BUSINESS STUDENTS WILL SOON BE ABLE TO DESIGN AND CREATE PROTOTYPES OF PRODUCTS THAT COULD BE USED TO SHOWCASE THEIR TALENTS USING NEW 3D PRINTERS
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BY CHRIS SANCHEZ sanchezc@mail.sfsu.edu
rofessor Sameer Verma presses print on his laptop. But he isn’t printing a document on a regular inkjet printer. Instead, he is using a Printrbot Jr., a small 3D printer that can make almost any object. Once the machine’s print head reaches the correct temperature, its motors begin whirring to life as it pours layer upon layer of melted plastic. After working laboriously for about eight minutes the Printrbot has made a small Star Trek emblem. “Beam me up,” Verma says in front of his managing enterprise networks class holding the badge to his chest. This spring semester SF State’s College of Business
invested in three of these small printers that range from $700 to $1200. According to Verma, the manufacturing capabilities of the machines will help business students design and create prototypes of products that could be shown to potential consumers. “For creating models of projects, these machines would be invaluable. Instead of relying on other people, you can go and get the model printed out and actually have it ready for a presentation,” said Richard Williams, an SF State information systems major. Industrial printers that can make 3D models have traditionally been very large and expensive to use. But recently, smaller desktop printers that use materials from plastic to chocolate to print objects have made the technology affordable for
mainstream consumers. While the machines are famous for printing trinkets and figurines, open source software has also allowed an online community of people to distribute 3D modeling files for others to download and print. A 3D printed mechanical hand known as “Robohand,” designed to help people with disabilities, has received thousands of downloads since it was made available online by a South African carpenter who lost some of his fingers in an accident. Bioprinting is also allowing medical researchers to build organs and tissue structures with 3D printers that use biomaterials such as living cells. While speaking to a product development and design class at SF State’s downtown campus, Printrbot founder Brook Drumm joked to students about a fiction-
al group of do-gooders who use 3D printers to help people all around the world in need. He and another student referred to it as “Printer Force.” “I want to change the world and that is not a pitch.” Drumm said. “Helping the third world, needy people or even kids catch a vision of what is possible through their own creativity and hard work — that’s the payoff for product design and business.” Although Drumm envisions his printers will be used to make the world a better place, others have set their sights on using 3D printers in potentially harmful ways. Last year, a student at the University of Texas used 3D modeling software to create a functional handgun. Within days of uploading the file online, the model had received more than 100,000 downloads.
“As a creator that makes a product that could potentially be used for nefarious purposes, you have to come to grips with the fact that you can’t control people,” Drumm said. “All around the world this technology is doing a tremendous amount of good and I think the printers out there helping people far exceed the printers out there hurting people.” Despite some challenges in integrating the 3D printers into the College of Business, the goal is to introduce the technology and get students to think about using it in new ways, Verma said. “This isn’t so much about 3D printing, but about something new and interesting. What this does is get the gears going in student’s minds about creativity and innovation, which is what we want to capitalize on,” Verma said.
“I Had No Idea”
Student organization breaks the silence on eating disorders BY JAYDA MCCLENDON | jmcclend@mail.sfsu.edu
SF State student Lindsay Wengler struggled with bulimia and anorexia in her past, but after receiving guidance, it gave her the strength to pay it forward to students today. Prior to moving to San Francisco, Wengler led an eating disorder support group in New York City for five years. She said that she wanted to provide information and support to those in her new community since eating disorders affect many college students. She thought that SF State would be a perfect venue to help others. Wengler said that she did not speak to anyone about her eating disorder until she visited a eating disorder awareness table in the state of Washington. She added that she was so nervous, she only grabbed some information and an eating disor-
der awareness ribbon before she hurried away. “That brief moment really changed my outlook on recovery because it helped me realize that help was available, that there are people that care and want to help,” said Wengler. “I still carry that little ribbon around with me and it is a constant reminder to help others in the same way they have helped me.” The Student Dietetics Association, whose mission is to raise awareness about healthy eating and nutrition on campus, held its first National Eating Disorder Awareness Week event on campus Feb. 24. Members talked to students about what to do if they suspect that a friend or family member has an eating disorder and where to find local support groups. SDA President Bobby Ma-
knoon said that since the event went well, the association is in the process of adding a committee solely devoted to raising awareness about eating disorders and disordered eating. “This is a completely new part of SDA that has not existed in prior years,” said Maknoon. The purpose of this year’s theme, “I Had No Idea,” was to break the silence about eating disorders on college campuses. “I’ve had a lot of friends that have done some pretty awful things to their bodies to try and look a certain way,” said association member Sarah Brockman. “It’s sad what people go through.” Brockman added that she thinks that there is not enough awareness about eating disorders on campus because of the subject’s private nature. There is neither a group on
campus nor a place dedicated to raising awareness and providing support to those with eating disorders, according to Wengler. She also said that since a lot of students showed interest during the event that they would benefit from these services year-round. The SDA plans on having a peer outreach group on campus to help those who are struggling with an eating disorder, according to Wengler. Although the group will not provide professional counseling services, it will serve as a resource of information and support to students so they can receive care. If a student needs immediate attention, the student health center has a dietitian and counseling services available, according to Maknoon. Jennifer Lombardi, chief
admissions officer and eating disorder treatment specialist at Eating Recovery Center of California, said it is important to spread awareness about eating disorders on college campuses because some of the highest rates of eating disorders are found in the 18 to 21 age category. Lombardi added since this age group is a time when students encounter transition and change, it can be difficult for them if they are struggling or are at risk of struggling with an eating disorder. “Unfortunately in our culture, since we put so much emphasis on weight, appearance and exercise, more so now than ever, I think what you end up having is a minimization culture,” said Lombardi, who is also an eating disorder survivor. “And we tend to sort of dismiss or normalize a lot of these behaviors.”
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Another man’s treasure:
Alumni crafts art from garbage BY ANGELICA WILLIAMS anwms@mail.sfsu.edu
Hands are a textile crafter’s most important tool. With each grab, flick and pull, even the slightest flaw could put his work in the trash. His hands are what make each item, from quilts to fabric pieces, different from every other mass-produced item for sale on the shelves.
Dan Freeman, a fine arts alumnus, has been working since February 2014 as a studio assistant in South San Francisco. Freeman said working at Josh Faught’s studio has been exactly what he wanted. When he’s not weaving and dying fabric, he helps the studio by making floor looms and crafting fabric by hand. Freeman got into textile making three years ago after
finding himself inspired by meshing together a rainbow of colored fabric. He bought himself a sewing machine by selling his own fabrics. Later, he enrolled at SF State in pursuit of evolving his craft. There, he networked with various artists and assisted his professors on their own projects. To read more visit: www.goldengatexpress.org
JENNY SOKOLOVA / XPRESS
CRAFT: Dan Freeman, textile artist and SF State alumni, stands by a loom that he started a warp on in the Textile Studios in the Fine Arts Building at SF State Monday, March 10.
Pamela Gray hits audience with harsh reality
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DAN PORTER / SPECIAL TO XPRESS
MAN’S WORLD: Screenwriter Pamela Grey gives a presentation about being a woman in the screenwriting profession in the Coppola Theatre at SF State Thursday, March 6.
creenwriter Pamela Gray hit the audience with sobering statistics, ruins of reality and continual cynicism in her discussion on writing and selling the female-centered screenplay. Then she really got to the negative side of the industry. Gray kept this blunt outlook going, with bits of optimism sprinkled in, as she spoke to students Thursday, March 6, in Coppola Theatre, marking the conclusion of the cinema department’s three-part series on screenwriting. The series previously featured screenwriters Michael Grais and Sam Hamm. “It’s a despicable business,” Gray said, as she told students in-
BY ANNA HECHT | ahecht@mail.sfsu.edu
terested in screenwriting that if they can’t handle the despair that comes with waiting for a screenplay to get produced, then they shouldn’t be in the profession. Gray is best known for 2010’s “Conviction,” starring Hilary Swank, 1999’s “Music of the Heart,” starring Meryl Streep and “A Walk on the Moon,” with Diane Lane. Her love of writing has been evident since first writing musicals and poetry in high school. She went on to receive her master’s in poetry at Boston University and later moved to California, where she had her first job at SF State teaching writing classes in the Women and Gender Studies
Department. “At that point in time, I wasn’t even thinking about film,” Gray said. “I was a poet.” Gray said she transitioned to screenwriting when she began to feel limited in her poetry. She needed to figure out how to make a living as a writer, but being a playwright was not a viable option. So she decided to try something new. Turns out, it was just what she needed. “On a whim, I took a sitcom writing class that was being offered at Fort Mason,” Gray said. To read more visit: www.goldengatexpress.org
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Arts & Entertainment
Cannes Film Festival or bust opportunity Cook had when he attended Cannes last year after the film he starred in, “The ProAndrew Cathey could never have ceedings,” won for best drama. predicted the wave of awards his films Cook once attended SF State would receive at Campus Moviefas a theater major, but left in est, but now he has the opportunity 2012 to follow an acting opof a lifetime after winning big. His portunity in L.A. He now lives films, “The Spot” and “Being A Man” there and is currently acting in an recieved various awards and provided upcoming TV series, but said atCathey with an invitation to attend and tending Cannes helped his career. have the films screened at the re“Some people will stick with nowned Cannes Film Festival in May. you for the rest of your life,” The director and SF State alumnus Cook said. “I’ve come across said he was excited when he found that I’m still keeping up with the out his films received so many honors, majority of people who I met on but is still a bit overwhelmed by the my travels there a year later. You prestige that comes with receiving the make the most of your experiinvitation to Cannes. ence. You can stroll on the beach “I don’t think it will set in until I every day if you want, or you get to Paris,” he said. “But yeah, it’s can go out there and network and RYAN LEIBRICH / XPRESS definitely exciting. A once in a lifetime collaborate.” FILM FESTIVAL: Andrew Cathey, director (right), and Zachary Ready, co-director (left) stand behind drying film in opportunity, that’s for sure.” Zach Ready, a junior cinethe halls of the Fine Arts Building Monday, March 10. Cathey’s team, Pocket Pool Productions, have been invited to Cathey entered the two films into ma major, co-directed “Being a the Cannes Film Festival for its films “Being a Man” and “The Spot.” the 2013 Campus Moviefest, the Man” with Cathey and said the world’s largest student film festisince his freshman year at the University, but lacked the process was fun since he got to val. The annual festival provides college students with funds to attend Cannes his first time around. work with friends. He has been making films with Cathey filmmaking materials – laptops and cameras, as well as Now, Cathey is even more determined to attend and for Campus Moviefest since his freshman year. support and training – and students have seven days to has set up a designated page on the fundraising website Ready said he experienced a frustrating time when produce a comedy, drama, documentary or other film Indiegogo to request outside donations. Cathey said that he started out because, after winning best comedy for genre. although he is not the type of person who likes asking their very first film, his work in the following years never Cathey’s team, under the name “Pocket Pool Producpeople for things, he is accepting donations to help reach received praise until now. tions,” took the challenge and came up winners when his $4000 goal in one month to be able to attend Cannes. “The film that explored our most time and effort and their film “Being A Man” won last fall for best drama out “It’s all about you,” Cathey said, noting the imporanything we’ve ever done before got rewarded by saying of approximately 150 SF State entries. The film also won tance of the festival. “It’s all about your networking. It’s ‘you guys were the best directors out of everyone at for best director and best actor. The group’s other film, all about making connections. (Cannes is) the ultimate State,’” Ready said. “It was an incredible feeling.” “The Spot,” won for best comedy. opportunity for that.” Cathey hopes that before moving to L.A. later this “Being A Man” tells the dramatic five-minute story of Brennan Cook is a friend of Cathey’s and the actor year, he can fulfill his dream of attending Cannes. He said the deceit between two ranchers and a wife. “The Spot” who won for his role of Tyler in “Being a Man.” The that he has seen the impact it has had on Cook and that it involves four men, marijuana, a barn and a murderous character is a rough rancher who kills his friend after could become the same launching pad for his own career. Cookie Monster. discovering the man’s relationship with his wife. He “To end your four or five years at film school going to Cathey has been entering films into Campus Moviefest hopes Cathey can reach his goal so he can have the same the Cannes film festival, it’s huge,” he said. BY ANNA HECHT ahecht@mail.sfsu.edu
The Pull pushes out first album NINE-MEMBER BAND, THE PULL, WILL RELEASE THEIR FIRST ALBUM LATER THIS SEMESTER. THE SELF-TITLED EP IS BEING RECORDED ON CAMPUS THROUGH AN AUDIO PRODUCTION CLASS
BY KYLE DA SILVA kdasilva@mail.sfsu.edu
A year ago, Christian “Verbalistic” Mcardle-Hankin was tired of being a solo emcee. He wanted to share the stage with someone. He wanted to share the stage with a lot of someone’s. He wanted a singer and a live band. He had a big sound in mind. This week, The Pull, a band composed of SF State students and alumni Mcardle-Hankin, Austin Hunter, Ari Tibi, Matthew Bland, Mazin Mahgoub, Davis Tamano and their cohorts Patrick Abogado, Josh Del Mundo, and
Arrington West are finishing up the final overdubs and mixes of their first EP, tentatively self-titled. “We’re really looking for as intricate but as big a sound as possible,” said Mcardle-Hankin. “We’re always bringing in new guys. Sometimes you’ll see two sax players, sometimes a horn player. One night we’ll have a djembe.” He paused and chuckled at his own pun. “We’re always pulling something new in.” Mcardle-Hankin expects the EP, being recorded at SF State with professor John Barsotti and his advanced audio production
LORISA SALVATIN / XPRESS
THE PULL, THE PUSH: (From left) Austin Hunter, Christian Mcardle-Hankin, and Davis Tamano commence practice in their friend’s garage Saturday, March 8.
class, to be out later this semester. This will be The Pull’s first recording available. “Recording for an audience of 15 people is really new for all of us,” said Abogado of recording in front of a class. “But everyone has been really helpful, (Barsotti) really knows what he’s doing.” Their audience received them well. “They were really easy to work with,” said Hugh Coffee, a student in Barsotti’s class. “They were great with communicating what they wanted and we tried our best to help them with how
they wanted it all to sound.” Their sound is eclectic, to say the least. Drawing from jazz, blues, hip-hop, reggae, soul and Latin rhythms, Hunter said they “manage to keep the same feel, the same vibe, just through different rhythms. So there is continuity.” Getting to this point hasn’t been easy, said Abogado, adding that he is not sure where all this work is taking them next. “Every band is a work in progress,” he said. “I wonder what The Pull is going to end up being like.” The Pull was conceived when
Mcardle-Hankin and Tibi, both mutual friends of Hunter, met each other at an open-mic night. Mcardle-Hankin was impressed with Tibi’s voice, and Tibi was impressed by Mcardle-Hankin’s parking lot freestyle session. The next day the two of them, Hunter and a few other friends partook in a loud, late night jam session. Even now, they’ve come a long way. The band has attained what some might call a common-law residency at Balancoire in the Mission, performed at a gallery opening at SF State and booked a future show at the Boom Boom Room.
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PHOTOS BY LORISA SALVATIN / XPRESS
SLANDER: (Top) Mikkel Simmons as Pompey and Michael Hutchinson as Elbow in a scene from SF State’s production of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, in the Little Theatre on Wednesday, March 5. (Bottom) Marianna, played by Hope Raymond (front), kneels while her husband, Angelo, played by Kyle McReddie (back) accuses her of slander during a scene of Measure For Measure.
out the play. Sex highlighted many of the scenes to provide a look into the play’s questioning of virtue, deceit and temptation. The cast has been in production for the play since last fall, during which Washington said he was able to bring together a talented cast and crew, including some alumni. Graduate Drew Wolff,
who acts as both Barnardine and Escalus, said he jumped at the chance to act in the play because it was Shakespeare and has enjoyed working with the director’s methods. “Rhonnie has a saying,” Wolff said. “If he feels that you’re acting entirely on the words in a scene, he’ll say, ‘I smell words,’ because he’s not seeing your intention or your action, but he’s hearing you speak.” Nicole Helfer is another alumnus who Washington
asked to help with the play after viewing her act in and choreograph for last fall’s “A Chorus Line.” Helfer enjoyed receiving guidelines from Washington to help achieve his vision of the “decadence dance,” which is the opening brothel scene that Helfer choreographed. “(The dancers) all were super into it,” Helfer said. “We kind of had to break the ice because it’s a little silly to be sexual sometimes with people that you don’t really know. We all had to be comfortable with each other because the material and the movement are so evocative.” Opening night successfully displayed the actors’ talents, which excelled in variety as well as ambiguity. This was the goal of actor Mikkel Simons, who plays Pompey, a clown who works for Mistress Overdone and who is usually played by a male actor. Simons said she is making the character her own and giving it an ambiguous twist. “I’m not playing it really manly and I’m not playing it extremely feminine,” Simons said. “I’m trying to find that middle road.” Along with the cast, the play’s scenes evoked a somber, sensual or silly mood. Becky Bogner, a senior and theater major at SF State, as well as the play’s set designer, said she was happy with how the play looked opening night. “The idea that the director had was able to be captured,” she said. “I think we pulled it off.” “Measure for Measure” runs March 13-15 at 8 p.m. and March 9 and 16 at 2 p.m. in the Little Theatre. Tickets are $5$15 and can be purchased at the theatre box office or online.
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The Theater Department opened its first production of the spring semester, “Measure for Measure” last Thursday, March 6. The audience that filled the Little Theatre seemed not fully prepared for the interesting scenes about to be thrust upon them. Director of the production, Professor Rhonnie Washington, said he wanted to give his own modern spin on the classic Shakespeare play, beginning with the dance number. Washington was glad to get a group of dancers from the dance department because they already had the experience for the choreographed dance. “I think that that’s going to be one of the highlights of the production,” Washington said. “I’m guessing that people won’t be expecting dancing in ‘Measure for Measure.’” Curious viewers awaited this first big scene, set in a brothel, or modern-day stripclub, where female and male dancers stripped and teased to their heart’s content. This sequence provided important background for the famous Shakespeare play, which follows Lord Angelo as he leads the city of Vienna while the Duke is away. Angelo hopes to rid Vienna of all brothels and unlawful sexual conduct, but in the process has his own, as well as other characters’, morals questioned. “Measure for Measure” is typically categorized as a comedy, and the cast certainly brought the laughter by delivering sexual innuendos through-
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Opinion
MARCH 12, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
ANDREW CULLEN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF culle010@mail.sfsu.edu
JORDAN HUNTER
PRINT MANAGING EDITOR jordanh@mail.sfsu.edu
NENA FARRELL
ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR haydee@mail.sfsu.edu
NATALIE YEMENIDIJAN ART DIRECTOR nataliey@mail.sfsu.edu
EVELYN CAICEDO
ART ASSISTANT ecaicedo@mail.sfsu.edu
BAILEY RIDDLE
COPY EDITOR briddle@mail.sfsu.edu
Why is our culture so obsessed with celebrities? Looks can be deceiving
JESSICA CHRISTIAN PHOTO EDITOR jac@mail.sfsu.edu
BRADLEY FOCHT
NEWS EDITOR bfocht@mail.sfsu.edu
DAVID MARIUZ
NEWS EDITOR dmariuz@mail.sfsu.edu
LAUREN SEWARD
A&E EDITOR lseward@mail.sfsu.edu
ANNASTASHIA GOOLSBY OPINION EDITOR agoolsby@mail.sfsu.edu
CURTIS UEMURA
SPORTS EDITOR cuemura@mail.sfsu.edu
RACHEL ASTON
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR raston@mail.sfsu.edu
WILL CARUTHERS
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR wcarruth@mail.sfsu.edu
EMILIA ROSALES
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR eer@mail.sfsu.edu
RACHELE KANIGEL
PRINT ADVISER kanigel@mail.sfsu.edu
SCOT TUCKER
MULTIMEDIA ADVISER tucker@sfsu.edu
KEN KOBRE
PHOTO ADVISER ken@kobre.com
EVA CHARLES
ADVERTISING & BUSINESS echarles@mail.sfsu.edu
DRUG OVERDOSES AND ADDICTIONS HAVE BECOME A TREND IN THE CELEBRITY WORLD. INSTEAD OF DISAPPROVAL, OUR SOCIETY PRAISES AND ENDORSES THEIR NEXT REALITY SHOW.
I
ART BY JORDAN CERMINARA
BY MADISON RUTHERFORD | maddie@mail.sfsu.edu
n our society, frivolous social networks seem to be a more pressing concept than social unrest and the average young adult can probably give you a longer list of celebrities who have been to rehab than Pulitzer Prize winners. It’s safe to say our priorities are disconcertingly skewed. Why is our culture so obsessed with celebrities? Most of them are beautiful train wrecks—the ultimate archetype of the cliché “looks can be deceiving.” Expensive clothes and bleached teeth help mask their uncouth, destructive and sometimes bizarre behavior, which is praised and perpetuated in our society. Real social issues are buried beneath Kim and Kanye’s poor child naming choice, or Lindsay Lohan’s latest rehab stint. We’ve been forced to “keep up” with the Kardashians for nearly seven years now and the release of Lindsay Lohan’s docu-series last Sunday maintains the idea that the more bad decisions you make, the more fame you will be awarded. Fascination with the rich and famous is
driving a society plagued with narcissism, incognizance and reckless behavior. When a famous person overdoses, goes to rehab, or gets a DUI, it is glorified in the media. Organizations like TMZ and Access Hollywood have made millions off of celebs’ downward spirals. Reality shows like Celebrity Rehab portray stars as funny TV characters instead of real people with real issues. It’s unclear if we are meant to live vicariously through their reckless, yet glamorous existence or pity their drug-addled lives of hardships. What about the everyday reality of “normal” people who have overcome substance abuse or lost a loved one to a drug overdose? Where is their four-page spread or universal TV coverage? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 36,000 Americans died due to a drug overdose in 2008 but Heath Ledger’s story was the only one we remember. And even then, his fatal cocktail of pills did nothing to increase awareness of the dangers of prescription drugs in our society. We were heartbroken that “The Dark
Knight” was going to be the last time we would see the handsome, young actor but we didn’t bat an eyelash about how or why. We have a romanticized idea of celebrities in this country. We imagine that they spend carefree nights at trendy nightclubs getting wasted and snorting lines in the back of limos. We put them on a pedestal they don’t deserve just because they are beautiful, wealthy and well dressed. All that glitters is not gold. People with the highest paying salaries seem to have the lowest morals. Yet these are the people we have chosen to represent our society. These are people’s heroes and role models: a community of people who are notorious for reckless and outlandish behavior, drug abuse, promiscuity and vanity. As a society, we need to stop propagating this behavior. We are collectively acknowledging that it is glamorous to abuse drugs and break the law as long as you look good while doing it. We are desensitized to the ways of celebrities because we have subconsciously agreed that it is normal behavior.
ARUN UNNIKRISHNAN I.T. CONSULTANT arun@mail.sfsu.edu
SADE BROWNE
CIRCULATION sbrowne822@gmail.com
ALEXANDRA SOISETH
STUDENT GRAPHIC DESIGNER asoiseth@verizon.net
WRITE US A LETTER The Golden Gate Xpress accepts letters no longer than 200 words. Letters are subject to editing. Send letters to Annastashia Goolsby at: agoolsby@mail.sfsu.edu
ABOUT XPRESS The Golden Gate Xpress is a student-produced publication of the journalism department at San Francisco State University. For more information or comments, please contact Andrew Cullen at: culle010@mail.sfsu.edu
XPRESS YOURSELF
WE ASKED SF STATE STUDENTS:
What do you think of Lindsay Lohan’s new documentary series with Oprah? Photos by: Jessica Christian Reporting by: Julia Middlemiss
“
I think it’s better than being in the limelight for stealing jewelry.
”“
TAYLOR VINCENT, 18
DESIGN AND INDUSTRY
They’re probably both doing the show to get more publicity from each other.
”“
LESILE COVARRUVIAS, 18 COMPUTER SCIENCE
Lindsay Lohan has no relevancy to my life.
”
CAMERON PIRTLE, 22 POLITICAL SCIENCE
Opinion
MARCH 12, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
9
Pay toll increase or face the wrath
W
BY NENA FARRELL | haydee@mail.sfsu.edu
ART BY BY JORDAN CERMINARA
We’re being robbed From $6 beers to $10 sandwiches, San Francisco is not the cheapest city to live in — it is the most expensive, finally surpassing New York City. Whether residents are getting bombarded by aggressive panhandlers for spare change or harassed by the SFMTA for a $2 ticket, we can never get a break. That is not about to change. If you haven’t heard, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted Feb. 28 to raise the Golden Gate Bridge toll from an already costly $6 to $7 beginning April 7. If you aren’t up in arms about that yet, they plan on issuing a 25-cent raise every year until the toll reaches $8 in 2018. This is completely unnecessary. According to KQED, it now takes earnings from more than five minimum wage jobs to afford the rent in a two-bedroom apartment in neighborhoods like the Mission District and Potrero Hill; it takes more than seven minimum wage jobs to afford a similar unit in SoMa and the Financial District. Living on a barista’s minimal pay, in a city where 13.2 percent of people live below the poverty line, raising any prices in the city seems outrageous and inhumane.
San Franciscans suffer enough by only being able to afford a studio in-law lacking insulation, with walls so thin you might as well live with your neighbors. Then everyone says that bringing a car to San Francisco is more frustration than what it’s worth. They’re right. Between the hundreds of dollars in bogus parking tickets, outrageous $10 two-hour city parking and toll payments that are no longer affordable with loose change, it costs a small fortune to maintain a 14-year-old Honda in the city. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Supervisor Scott Wiener said the cost of running the bridge and the transit system keeps increasing, therefore the toll rise is “not unreasonable.” Let’s do some math. Seven dollars a day, five days a week, 52 weeks a year comes out to a whopping $1,820 a year. Once the toll increases, that number will reach more than $2,000. That is a little unreasonable Mr. Wiener. The San Jose Mercury News speculated that the district members voted ‘yes’ because they believe it will finally help fund the highly anticipated suicide barrier, which has been deferred since
BY JORDAN HUNTER jordanh@mail.sfsu.edu
2005. Will it though? Is that the answer to everything? Raise the bridge toll by $1 and it will pay for a $45 million net system. In a proposal that dates back to the 1950s, the multimillion-dollar suicide barrier is a net that would cover the underside of the Golden Gate Bridge to catch people who jump and prevent them from hitting the water. With the newest toll raise, the Board of Supervisors are using the human element of suicide to justify consistently hiking prices. Just last year, the bridge switched to a completely electronic payment system, letting go of eight full-time and 29 part-time toll workers. The Bridge District will have accumulated $16 million during the next few years just by switching to an automated system, according to NBC News. That should be paying for the net, which apparently is more important now than it was 10 years ago. The bridge toll rise is a shady justification for the city to further rob tourists and everyday commuters of their money, with the “good intention” that the revenue will go toward a good cause; when it will most likely go elsewhere as it always does.
ith only 11 percent of SF State students living on campus, it’s safe to say that some of the remaining 89 percent commute across the Golden Gate Bridge and would be affected by the raising of the toll. An increase of $1 has been approved for crossing the famous bridge this year, with additional increases eventually reaching $8 in 2018. The initial reaction has been negative because it’ll be an extra burden on commuters’ budgets; but is it really such a terrible thing? Across the nation, bridge tolls range from $1 to more than $10 for one way. San Francisco is a huge city and the Golden Gate Bridge is the most iconic of all U.S. bridges. The raising of the toll for a bridge, that is not only used by commuters but also attracts thousands of visitors from around the world, to only $8 by 2018 is something the city should embrace. Let’s look at a city as famous as San Francisco: New York City. New York City’s bridges make our toll — a mere $5 with FasTrak and $6 by license plate billing — look like mincemeat. The Bayonne Bridge from NYC’s Staten Island to New Jersey and the George Washington Bridge from Manhattan to NJ are $13 during peak time for cars and $9 during off-peak time for one way. Bridges in Maryland, such as the Millard E. Tydings Memorial Bridge and Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge, already cost $8 one way. It’s actually surprising that our bridge toll has not reached double digits yet. But why raise the toll? According to SFGate, it’s the first hike in five years and would raise $123 million during the next five. Sadly, they’re not fund-
raising this money to bring reduced student passes for MUNI or BART. According to CBS, there’s a $142 million shortfall in the bridge’s budget happening in the next five years. This was supposed to cover projects like seismic retrofitting, rehabilitation of the bridge’s south tower that has a foundation underwater and of the floor beams under the roadway. While nobody likes paying an extra dollar, most people would choose paying that dollar than having a floorboard collapse during their drive across the bridge. Golden Gate Bridge District spokeswoman Mary Currie also told CBS that electronic billing makes it possible to raise the toll in slower increments than dollars. The district has the ability to raise it 25 cents, 50 cents or whatever they deem most appropriate. This is good news since it means we won’t have to see dollar increases every year, instead it’s just specific amounts fitted for both the district’s budget and our own. Plus, if you’re a frequent driver in the bridge area you’ve probably noticed that the turn off, Doyle Drive, has been under construction for years now. It’s slated to finally be finished in 2016. Golden Gate Bridge General Manager and CEO Denis Mulligan wrote an opinion piece in the Marin Independent Journal explaining that $75 million is due at the end of construction, making fundraising for that upcoming bill crucial. Looking at the bigger picture, the raising of $2 during the course of four years is far from the end of the world. Using the Golden Gate Bridge will still be cheaper than the SF to Larkspur Ferry and if you’re really that mad about a whole dollar, you should know that bikes are free to cross.
Xpress Magazine Spring 2014 issue out this month!
http://xpress.sfsu.edu/xpressmagazine/
10
Sports
MARCH 12, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
TAGGED: SF State first basemen Garrett Heisinger (12) attempts to tag out a CSU Monterey Bay player during a home game against CSU Monterey Bay at Mahoney Field Sunday, March 9. The Gators fell to the Otters with a final score of 2-1. JESSICA CHRISTIAN / XPRESS
A one-run loss to Monterey leaves Gators salty BY MICHAEL DURAN michaeld@mail.sfsu.edu
Missed opportunities left the Gators on the losing side in a close game against the Cal State Monterey Bay Otters 2-1, Sunday March 9 at Maloney Field. Starting pitcher Nolan Sheridan threw a total of seven innings allowing only two earned runs. Sheridan was replaced by closing pitcher Cory Davis, who pitched a solid two innings allowing no hits. Sheridan received the loss and now is 2-4 for the season so far.
“We had great pitching from Nolan and Cory,” said head coach Mike Cummins. “But we just missed every opportunity that we had to score and need to work on that.” The Gators defense came alive in the top of the sixth, when Carter Loud made a diving catch in right field to end the inning. A small altercation between Davis and the umpire occurred in the middle half of the ninth inning. Davis apparently was using a blue glove and the umpire told Davis
that he must use a brown or black glove. Davis was not pleased and walked away. “It was stupid that he told me to change my glove,” said Davis. “He was trying to tell me that I wasn’t allowed to wear a blue glove and I told him it was a lie and walked away.” Third baseman Danny Souza took a called third strike to end the game on a controversial call by the home plate umpire. After the game both SF State’s players and fans voiced their displeasure with the call.
“Even though the umpire calls were bad, we can’t let that effect us,” said Souza, “We need to play our game.” Davis had been using this blue glove for the past two games and the same umpire was at both games. The umpire did not say anything to Davis at any of these games. The Gators have a long time to think about this close loss as they are off the whole upcoming week; they don’t play again until March 21 against Sonoma State.
SF State falls in first round of tournament BY NELSON AMAYA slenon44@mail.sfsu.edu
After their final two crucial victories needed to crash the tournament, the Gators were ready for a storybook run. Unfortunately for SF State, its Cinderella story ended before it could begin. On a night where senior forward Brandon Tatum went off for 25 points, his career high wasn’t enough as the Gators lost to Chico State, 78-66 in the team’s opener for the California Collegiate Athletics Association Tournament, March 6. “Tatum was a workhorse fueling us throughout the game,” senior center Max Fodor said. “Chico hit a few late threes in the end to put them ahead and we could not come back from that.”
Early foul trouble for its top players, including senior guard Nefi Perdomo and offensive woes hurt the team in the second half despite a 27-25 halftime lead. Perdomo finished with just seven points. The Wildcats were able to take advantage and outscored the team 53-39 the rest of the way. Tatum was the only Gator to finish the game with double figures in points. “We got up early and we were playing really well defensively,” coach Paul Trevor said. “But we should have been up more; we should have capitalized on
It was sad to watch the game and our season end so abruptly, but we had worked hard through the highs and lows. Max Fodor FORWARD
more opportunities.” The Gators finished the season in sixth place with an overall record of 14-12 and 12-10 in the CCAA conference. After the game, Trevor said he told his team in the locker room to appreciate its seniors for all their work in their final season. “I told them that everyone in this room should thank the seniors,” Trevor said. “For all the sacrifices they’ve made to make us have such great success.” Perdomo finished his final season with a slew of SF State records and said he hopes to be remembered for
his time playing Gators basketball. “It’s a big accomplishment, ever since I was little I’ve always wanted to be remembered playing basketball,” Perdomo said. “I guess breaking some records will do that. I’ll be remembered when I leave and my legacy will still be here. I don’t know for how long but it’s still going to be here.” For Fodor, who played four seasons at SF State alongside Perdomo, the loss was the last game for him as a Gator, along with six other senior teammates. “It was sad to watch the game and our season end so abruptly, but we had worked hard through the highs and lows,” Fodor said. “I would gladly call upon any of my teammates and consider them brothers and family. I will always remember this team and this season as a highlight of my life.”
Sports
MARCH 12, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
11
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Softball twins face off BY HALEY BRUCATO | hbrucato@mail.sfsu.edu
For the first time in their entire lives, identical that part of you that thinks, ‘Aw man she’s doing twin sisters Jenny and Katie Obbema went head better than me,’ and makes you want to go out to head, pitching for opposite teams at Humboldt and prove yourself.” State over the weekend: Jenny for SF State, and As for their parents, they’re not exactly sure Katie for Humboldt. what to do about their daughters pitching for At first, they both planned to attend SF State, different teams now. but for Katie, Humboldt State suddenly became “Last year, my parents cut two shirts down an option, and everything fell into place last the middle with our school colors, then sewed minute. them back together,” Jenny said. “We’ve always been each other’s best friends, The shirts were half Humboldt, half SF State. always had the same group of friends and did But Katie said her parents were definitely quiet everything together,” Katie said. during this game. When they left to go to different “When it comes down to it, it is colleges last year, it was the first time hard,” Becky said. “We’ve chosen since birth that the twins were apart to be neutral and not cheer for the for longer than a single day. team, but for the daughter.” “It was hard for us as parents to Their father Rick Obbema said think ‘Wow, they are going off into the game was exciting for everyone different directions,’ but they went in the stands. “You don’t see identioff to become their own people,” cal twins pitching against each other I never get a their mother, Becky Obbema, said. very often.” “As a result, it brought them closer For the game he sported a neubreak. First one together as twins and as sisters.” tral, gray sweatshirt. The Obbema’s have always been daughter is up “I had to sit there with duct tape there pitching, an athletic family. Their mother over my mouth — it was hard keepplayed softball growing up and their then the other. I’m ing quiet,” he said. “My palms were father played football at UCLA. The sweating, it’s nerve wracking.” twins found their passion for softball always on edge. He said he was so nervous that during their early T-ball days, followhe kept a bottle of Tums nearby to ing in their mother’s footsteps. ease his stomach at every inning. “We’ve grown up doing the exact Rick Obbema, “I never get a break. First one FATHER same thing, playing sports together daughter is up there pitching, then and going to the same school, but the other,” he said. “I’m always on it is a good thing to be apart,” Jenny said. “We edge — I want them to do well. are able to do our own things and and not have But he got through it without any ulcers — people assume ‘Oh you’re twins, so you have to yet. do everything together.’” “We’ve still got two more years of this. I’ll go The sisters’ competitive side really came out buy stock from whoever owns Tums because I’ll when they both got on the mound, this time for be buying a bunch of those in the years to come,” opposing sides. Rick said. “We definitely both encourage each other to So far, the sisters have figured out how to do good,” Katie said. “But it makes the game a make the distance between them work and they lot different — now I’m trying to beat my sister said they are seeing each other as much as they and she’s trying to beat me.” can. Jenny echoed her sister’s thoughts, “Even “Katie really found a home at Humboldt and though she’s on the other side, we both want each Jenny at SF State,” Rick said. “It’s been a fun other to do well,” she said. “But there is always ride so far.”
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