Golden Gate Xpress Issue 9

TOMORROW: MAYORAL CANDIDATES COMING TO CAMPUS ASI organized the forum to encourage students to be part of the electoral process.

BY BRITTNEY BARSOTTI bbarsott@mail.sfsu.edu

While political candidates may often be hard to reach, students and community members will be able to interact with mayoral candidates on campus tomorrow with a little help from Associated Students Inc. ASI members have made arrangements

to bring as many mayoral candidates as possible to a forum from noon to 2 p.m. in the Cesar Chavez Student Center.

“The main goal of this event is to have students become more aware of politics and to be able to participate in the process,” Gutierrez said.

Candidates will be able to table and

GOLDEN GATE XPRESS //

OCCUPY SF

TAKING OVER THE STREETS

BY SANDRA LOPEZ

selopez@mail.sfsu.edu

STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER PROUDLY SERVING THE SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SINCE 1927.

speak with students on the ground level of the student center. Students and other community members will have the opportunity to introduce themselves and ask candidates questions, according to Gutierrez.

So far ASI has received confirmaSEE MAYOR ON PAGE 9

// 10.19.11

VOLUME LXXXXI ISSUE 9

SOLIDARITY: Occupy SF protesters hold hands while chanting and marching toward San Francisco City Hall Saturday. PHOTO BY HANG CHENG

A

Occupy SF are SF State students Dylan Brignon, and 18-year-old biochemistry major and Pedro Bazan, 18, undeclared.

“The government is not representHOW OCCUPY SF ing the people the way that they should because of corporate interests,” Bazan CAN MAKE THEIR said. “We have created this community VOICES COUNT. that works better than the current system which we have now.”

PAGE 8 According to Bazan, occupiers are able to effectively communicate different ideas, share food and provide for one another.

“People should come first, before the lobbyists and corporations,” Brignon said.

Some of the Occupy SF encampment moved to Justin Herman

T 101 MARKET ST. IN FRONT OF THE FEDERAL Reserve, people have been persuading onlookers to join them in defending the 99 percent, referring to the idea that 1 percent of the population controls the world’s wealth. Masked protesters carried signs that read, “We got sold out, the banks got a bailout.”

While this scene happened downtown, similar instances have been popping up at SF State as well.

Protesters have been camping out in waves through the last few weeks as part of the Occupy San Francisco movement, which emerged from the New York-based movement Occupy Wall Street. The protest called for people to flood into lower Manhattan, set up tents and take over Wall Street for a few months, demanding that President Barack Obama convene a Presidential Commission to end the influence of money over our representatives in Washington.

Among the group of protesters who have been camping out at

R E L AT E D E D I T O R I A L

SEE OCCUPATION ON PAGE 9

Culture through clothing

BY KATHERINE YAU

kyau2022@mail.sfsu.edu

EXCHANGE: Teachers from Yuki Kimono School demonstrate how to tie a bow the traditional way yesterday. PHOTO BY JULIANA SEVERE.

A Japanese student in a bright red kimono teetered into the Humanities Symposium on black, glossy 24-centimeter tall platform sandals Tuesday, as part of the Kimono Show at SF State.

Ten SF State student volunteers modeled kimonos alongside 12 students from the Yuki Kimono School in Tokyo to the tune of Christina Aguilara’s “Dirrty” and various traditional Japanese songs, highlighting the multicultural nature of the event.

Ayako Ozaki, an assistant teacher in the Yuki Kimono School, explained the goals organizers hoped to accomplish through the show.

“We want everyone to really experience, first hand, the beauty of Japanese kimonos, and want to introduce everyone to Japanese culture,”

Ozaki said.

Midori McKeon, the coordinator of SF State’s Japanese program, said the purpose of the event was to further cultural understanding for students from both sides of the Pacific Ocean.

“This is not an ordinary kimono fashion show, but an educational cultural exchange event between the students of Yuki Kimono school and our own San Francisco State students,” McKeon said. “Some of our students are participating in the event as models, experiencing firsthand how it feels like to wear a kimono and how it affects them physically and psychologically.”

Several different kinds of kimonos were featured at the event, ranging from the casual SEE TOKYO ON PAGE 2

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10.19.11

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SF SPEAKS OUT FACEBOOK: Logging out of love WHAT DO YOU THINK THE OCCUPY SF PROTESTERS ARE PROTESTING?

I DON’T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THE PROTESTS. JEANNETTE NUNEZ, 22 LIBERAL STUDIES MAJOR

CORPORATE GREED, A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD AREN’T INFORMED WITH WHAT’S GOING ON. KYLE NAKASHIMA, 23 ACCOUNTING MAJOR

BY DEVERY SHEFFER

R

STATUS CHANGED: Alyson Villanueva poses with her Facebook profile.

She says that after she broke up with a boyfriend, he began keeping tabs on her through social media. PHOTO

BY NELSON ESTRADA

dsheffer@mail.sfsu.edu

ELATIONSHIP STATUS: Heartbroken.

Ending a relationship is hard enough, but in the digital age, things have become more complicated with social media outlets including Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr changing the way we relate and communicate with people. “(Social media) makes people’s lives much more public and therefore, sometimes less intimate,” said Ivy Chen, SF State sex and relationships professor, who teaches a class about having healthy relationships from the sweet beginning to the sometimes bitter end.

Chen has a friend whose girlfriend used Facebook as a platform to break up with him by changing her status from in a relationship to single.

“He was heartbroken and humiliated, so there’s that level of public humiliation that’s added on top,” Chen said.

A clean breakup is not easy when you are interconnected with your former lover along with their friends and family via multiple forms of social media, according to Chen.

“After a breakup you should stay away from each other for six months to a year and a half, and that’s hard to do, especially when you’re offering olive branches like ‘we can still be friends,’ and the truth is you can’t be friends with somebody that you just broke up with,” Chen said. “The emotions are too raw and you need time to hit the reset button and to redefine yourselves.”

Some students agree with Chen and think social media sites blur the lines between personal and public information.

“I think it’s bad,” said Anthony Jarmolowicz, a 24-year-old electrical engineering major. “It depersonalizes communication and when you’re talking on sites like Facebook, communication gets lost. When you’re in a relationship, communication is really important.”

Allyson Villanueva, 21-year-old broad-

casting and electronic communication arts senior, said she spends 6 to 7 hours a day on social media websites, staying in contact with friends and family members, updating her status and posting pictures and videos.

She broke up with long-distance boyfriend of 5 months at the beginning of this semester so she could focus on her job and her schoolwork.

Her ex-boyfriend wanted to stay friends so Villanueva decided to give it a try. It wasn’t long before she became annoyed because he was using social media as means to contact and keep tabs on her.

His disregard for her need for space finally came to a climax one night while she was at work. He kept calling and Facebook messaging her while he was drunk.

“Eventually I called him and I was like, ‘Listen, I don’t want to talk to you anymore, you keep trying to bring (our relationship) up, and I don’t want to deal with it. You keep hitting me up on Facebook, you keep hitting me up on Twitter, you keep talking about me on Tumblr. I just don’t want to deal with it anymore,’” Villanueva said.

In desperation she finally threatened him with a restraining order to get him to stop and leave her alone.

Villanueva ended up blocking her ex-

EXCHANGES FROM TOKYO CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

I THINK THEY’RE PROTESTING BIG BANK CORPORATIONS. ANTHONEY PRESTELLA, 21 BECA MAJOR

OCCUPY WALL STREET IS FIGHTING THE FACT THAT OUR BUDGET CUTS ARE SHITTY. ANNA CARRILLO, 22 FRENCH MAJOR PHOTOS BY HANG CHENG COMPILED BY LISSETTE VARGAS

yukatas, which were used as “working attire in the Edo era,” to furisode kimonos, which use traditional patterns but are still used in Japan today as formal wear, according to McKeon.

Enya Barcelon, a SF State volunteer model, was taken aback by how complex it was to wear one of the formal kimonos.

“It took me about 30 to 40 minutes to get ready. I had more than one person help me. I had about two or three,” said Balcelon, a junior majoring in Japanese. “[Kimonos] are very cylindrical, very flat. There’s a lot of ties, there’s a lot of padding and strapping down. I’m wearing about four layers. When we start moving its going to be a lot hotter.”

Napat Kanjanametaku, a senior studying Japanese who volunteered for the show, was particularly excited for a chance to wear a kimono.

“The professor asked us in class to do it and I’d really like to try it on for once in my life,” said Kanjanametaku, an international student from Thailand who hopes to become a translator.

Arisa Hiroi, a graduate student studying Japanese and a volunteer model, explained that one of the events’ goals was to showcase the movement potential that kimonos have.

“Just to show everyone what the Japanese yukata is, and to show how people can move freely in them as opposed to how it looks really constricted. It’s actually free flowing,” said Hirio, who wore one of the casual kimonos.

This goal was accomplished in the opening act of the show, where five male volunteers dressed in yukatas performed their own interpretations of famous dance moves such as “the sprinkler” and “the running man.”

The show, which had more than 100 attendees, was preceded by a lecture on the history of kimonos and followed by a cultural workshop on Japanese calligraphy and origami.

boyfriend from her Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr accounts. She said this made him angry, but he finally got the message and has not contacted her in more than two weeks.

“It was hard to fully sever that tie because he and I were connected on pretty much every aspect,” Villanueva said.

Chen recommends breaking off all ties you have with your ex both on and off the internet. It can seem cruel, but it she said it is necessary to avoid a messy and complicated breakup.

Social media strategist Sheri Wiess believes social media is not a place for posting about private matters in the first place and that it is unsafe to do so.

“Personal information about yourself can be wonderful for building trusting relationships,” Weiss said in an email. “Private information does not belong on the global whiteboard.”

Villanueva concluded that her previous social media break-up relationship was turbulent but that she has learned a lesson.

“I now know that revealing my personal life on Facebook is dangerous and can make breaking up messier because it adds fuel to the fire and your whole life is out there and it’s harder to just cut ties,” Villanueva said.

CRIME BLOTTER FOOTLONG FISTICUFFS

Never get in between a person and their $5 footlong. A fight broke out at the Subway on-campus Sunday, requiring campus police to respond. While reviewing the records of the sandwich combatants, police found that one of the fighters had a $50,000 warrant out for his or her arrest in Riverbank, Calif. For the curious, that warrant could purchase roughly 9,124 toasted footlong sandwiches (after taxes. Gotta have toasted sandwiches!) and would be one footlong for every three people in the 22,678 city population of Riverbank. The suspect was taken into custody and the other fighters were barred from returning to campus.

PATRON PERAMBULATION Public intoxication, underaged possession of alcohol, and resisting arrest are misdemeanors in California.

However, these minor incidents do carry larger implications when applying for jobs in the future. So, one student clearly wasn’t thinking about this when they walked down Holloway Avenue drunk last Wednesday and fled when police attempted to talk to him or her. The alcohol must have convinced them that running drunk from police is 10 times more effective than doing so sober. Not the case.

PARENTAL ADVISORY It’s no secret that many San Franciscans incorporate cannabis therapy into their daily lives. That said, it is not condoned here at SF State. One student decided to take a toke last Saturday in Mary Park Hall and was busted by campus police after they originally came to break up a party involving alcohol. Campus police may have chosen the worst (and most effective) punishment for a freshman caught smoking herb: They had the student’s parents come and pick them up. Grounded!

10.12 through 10.18 Compiled by Aaron Williams

10.19.11

CAMPUS 3

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ROAD TO GOOD CREDIT IS PAVED IN PLASTIC

BY MICHAEL BEBERNES

G

bebernes@mail.sfsu.edu

IVE YOURSELF SOME CREDIT. Actually, get yourself some credit.

Credit seems like a concern for middle-aged adults with mortgages and car payments, but it’s something students should consider as well.

It’s never too early to start establishing a good credit record. There are simple, low-risk techniques for building a credit score without having a wealth of funds or financial savvy.

Elissa Torres, SF State junior, wishes she had learned the lessons of credit before it came to haunt her.

She had an epiphany when she moved to San Francisco for school and struggled to find an apartment without a credit history.

“I was realizing, ‘Crap! I don’t have any credit.

I don’t know how to go about getting a loan. I don’t even know about establishing credit. How do I even do this?’” Torres said.

Stephen Huxley, who teaches courses in personal finance at the University of San Francisco, is co-author of “Asset Dedication” and is published regularly in industry journals like “Financial Planning.” He believes it is imperative for students to be aware of their credit.

“There are many sad tales of students who are so immature that they get themselves into credit card debt without even thinking about how to pay it off,” Huxley said.

Almost anyone can walk into their bank and walk out with a card. The credit limit and interest may be poor, but the opportunity is still there. However, a credit card that never leaves your wallet is just a piece of plastic. Credit rating companies only take into account debts that have been repaid.

“The generic recommendation is for a college student to take out a card with a low limit (something like $500 if possible), charge $20 one time, then pay off the minimum each month without fail,” Huxley said. “Then do it again after the $20 is paid off. Do not use it for anything else.”

Students should view their credit card solely as a means to establish credit, not a way to buy stuff they

Another method to lower the potential for massive debt is a secured credit card. A secured card is similar to a regular except that it requires an upTreat your credit card like a debit card— only use your credit front security deposit. The card card when you know you have money in the bank to cover the is then issued with a spending purchase, then go home, get on the internet and pay it off imlimit equal to the amount of the mediately. deposit.

Don’t let your roomies ruin you — Instead of relying on your lazy, “The amount of your credit broke roommates for money to pay bills in your name, take conlimit becomes the amount you trol of one bill yourself. If it’s $30 for internet and $30 for cable, have secured in this account,” divvy up full bills instead of splitting them all into pieces. It all Albarian said. ends up square at the end. Put the internet in your name, pay it on time and let those slackers spoil their own credit.

There is consensus among experts that one of the fundaTime your loans — If you can, wait to take out your student loans mental things to understand is until after you’ve found a place to live. The debts will lower that having credit matters and your credit score. uncontrolled spending will Avoid store cards from places you impulse buy — Shopaholic?

Stay away from the Nordstrom card. Love gadgets? Avoid the have real consequences.

Best Buy card. Get a card for a place you’ll go, but not as retail Torres has seen these therapy. consequences for herself in the shopping customers who come Don’t be an idiot — Credit is not free money. You will have to pay into The Gap store where she it someday. It’s best to do so before you rack up interest and ruin your credit score. works.

“Some people, it really screws them over because they reach their limit and say ‘Oh, I can’t afford. Making small charges that can easily be can’t really pay for all this,’” Torres said. paid off is the classic technique for establishing credit.

Albarian believes students should understand their Gabe Albarian is the author of “Financial Swagown impulses and compensate for them. ger,” a finance guide for college students. He points He recommends that those who don’t trust to a few little tricks that can accelerate the process of themselves ask their banks for a lower credit limit as establishing credit while taking away some of the risk. protection.

Albarian advises students with financially respon“They give you a spending balance of $5000. sible parents to become an authorized user on their It automatically becomes this feeling that you have accounts. $5000 of free money to spend that you can delay the An authorized user attaches themselves to the payments until later on in life,” Albarian said. “That’s credit activity of anyone on the account. Basically, the not the reality of life.” parents’ payments count toward their child’s credit The simplest and most important method to esscore. tablishing credit is to make your payments on time. It “Their responsible payments, their credit hismay seem basic, but missed payments are a recipe for tory, whatever it may be will be transferred to your compounding debt and a bad credit score. credit history and give you a better credit score within “If we really know ourselves well, we know what months, which is wonderful,” Albarian said. our spending habits are like. We can really teach ourAlbarian emphasized that students become an auselves to budget,” Albarian said. “Make your responthorized user, not a co-applicant. Co-applicants carry sible payments and make them on time.” much more liability than authorized users.

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BART MAY EXTEND WEEKEND HOURS

10.19.11

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Transit service representatives will vote in November on a 30-minute service extension.

NIGHT OWLS: People wait at Daly City BART station Thursday. PHOTO BY JESSICA GOSS

BY BRIAN BALISI

I

bbalisi@mail.sfsu.edu

F BART OFFICIALS RECEIVE POSITIVE feedback on a proposed plan to extend station hours Friday night, passengers may be able to actually catch dinner and a movie without having to run back to the station in fear of missing the train home.

BART spokesman Jim Allison said that under the new plan BART services would be extended by 30 minutes to 12:30 a.m. Friday nights, but Saturday service would start 30 minutes later at 6:30 a.m. due to maintenance. An earlier version of the plan rolled out in June extended Friday services by one hour and delayed Saturday start time by one hour, but it received negative feedback from early morning passengers.

“We want people to be able to attend social events on Friday nights without worrying about transportation,” Allison said. “But the Saturday morning commuters would be adversely affected by the delay.”

BART Board of Directors member Robert Raburn

said they are also seeking feedback on a proposal to add a bus service for early Saturday morning passengers.

“We know the delays hurt a lot of commuters,” Raburn said. “But due to maintenance and the need for other passengers to ride late, we are trying to develop a happy medium.”

Allison said when BART was built in the 1970s it wasn’t designed to be a 24-hour system. Most public transportation systems have a third rail where trains can still move along toward their destination while other trains and rails receive maintenance. Everything from changing the light bulbs to grinding the rails for a quieter ride is maintained during BART’s off hours.

“We have very good maintenance people,” Allison said. “Our trains have more miles than other transit systems and they’re still dependable.”

BART representatives began handing out fliers Saturday detailing info on the two proposals. Allison said BART officials will look at the gathered data from surveys and feedback and decide on the propos-

als at a meeting in November with a planned testing phase possibly in February.

SF State marketing major Dennis Ho, who used to ride BART regularly from the East Bay, said he thinks people will be on board for the extended service hours.

“BART’s a good service,” Ho said. “Even if they start charging double, I’m sure people will still use it.”

SF State international business major Judy Singharath also said she would be happy if BART began running a little later on the weekends. She said she remembers how nervous she was back in January when she was stuck alone at a BART station in Oakland after the trains stopped running. Luckily a cab driver came by and offered her a ride to the station where her car was located.

“I don’t think 20 minute delays would affect commuters too much,” Singharath said. “A lot of events go on on the weekends and it would be more beneficial for late night riders.”

MUNI CAMERAS TO REINFORCE CELL PHONE LAW

BY MICHAEL HUBER

mphuber@mail.sfsu.edu

All trains will have cameras installed by 2014 to keep tabs on operators’ cell phone use.

M

OST PEOPLE ARE FINALLY beginning to understand the dangers of using cell phones and other electronic devices while driving. Now, the risk posed by train operators using such devices is becoming equally apparent.

Earlier this month the California Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously to make the use of cell phones and electronic devices illegal for all rail operators on duty. Cameras will be installed in the front of all cabins that currently do not have one to make sure the rule is being followed. All state-run BOARDER: A Muni train stops at SF State Monday. Muni plans on installing cameras in the drivers’ California transportation agencies have been given a deadline cabs as a way of monitoring forbidden cell phone use by train operators. PHOTO BY JESSICA GOSS. of three years to finish the task.

The CPUC passed the emergency order in response to a “Most of the lines already have cameras, but this will require an extra train accident that occurred in September 2008 in Southern California, causing 25 deaths and many injuries. Investigators later found component,” said Paul Rose, a spokesman for Muni. “We’re currently getting proposals and then we will have a better understanding of what that operators of both vehicles involved in the crash were using their cell the cost will be.” phones, according to the CPUC. Cameras will continuously record the operators and the footage will “The crash occurred in Southern California when a metro passenger be reviewed not only after accidents, but also during routine spot checks. train collided head-on with a Union Pacific freight train,” said Susan Carothers, a spokeswoman for CPUC. “The metro train failed to stop at a For some commuters, the amount of money required for this project is far less important than the safety that would be gained. red light signal because (the driver) was texting with his cell phone. Six “Granted we need to spend money on schools and things, but I feel days later the emergency order was passed, and now it’s the law.” like our safety is something we need to spend money on,” said Stephanie According to the new Muni order, all personal electronics must be Wangler, a San Francisco commuter. “I support it if it will keep us safe.” turned off and stowed away by any person on duty.

With the deadline not for another three years, the SFMTA has plenty There has been no word yet on the amount of money it will cost to of time to implement the new cameras without it having a serious impact implement cameras into all of the rail lines, or if it will cause delays in on delaying buses for day-to-day commuters. commuting while the trains are under maintenance.

10.19.11

CITY 5

| GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG ELECTION INFORMATION

The primary function of the San Francisco Sheriff is to oversee the operation of the county jails as well as to supervise release and rehabilitation programs. Michael Hennessey is the current sheriff.

SF SHERIFF CANDIDATES CHRIS CUNNIE is the former police union boss and he wants to work with communities to address specific problems. He intends to rehabilitate criminals to prevent them from becoming repeat offenders, improve public safety and facilitate safe and cost-reduced jail operations.

PAUL MIYAMOTO believes his 15 years of experience as a deputy sheriff make him a desirable contender for sheriff. Miyamoto thinks that his experience will give him the ability to streamline rehabilitation services and increase overall public safety.

COMPILED BY LISA CARMACK lcarmack@mail.sfsu.edu

ROSS MIRKARIMI is a former armed San Francisco district attorney investigator and current district 5 supervisor. Mirkarimi wishes to improve prisoner education and rehabilitation, enhance jail safety and expand diversity hiring.

DAVID WONG has served both as a sheriff deputy and as president of the Sheriff Deputy Association.

Wong wants to use an incarcerated workforce to keep San Francisco clean and work with city unions to provide job training.

IMPORTANT VOTING DATES The last day to register to vote in the Nov. 8 election is Monday, Oct. 24. Any voters who have changed their address, name or party affiliation must re-register by this day. You must be a citizen of the U.S., a resident of San Francisco and at least 18 years of age or older on the date of the election.

Monday, Nov. 1 is the last day to request a vote-by-mail ballot. This request must be received by the Department of Elections by 5 p.m.

Early weekend voting is available at City Hall Oct. 29-30 and Nov. 5-6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Voter registration forms are available at any DMV office, selected local public libraries and city or county offices, the Department of Elections and any post office. You can also request a form online at the California Secretary of State’s website sos.ca.gov/ elections, or call the office at (415) 554-4411.

Tuesday, Nov. 8 is election day. The polling place for students who live on campus is located at Temple Baptist Church at 3355 19th Ave. in front of Stonestown Galleria. There are also several polling places throughout Parkmerced for residents.

To find your local polling place visit gispubweb.sfgov.org/website/pollingplace.

Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on election day. Vote by mail ballots must be received on that day by the Department of Elections or dropped off at a polling place by 8 p.m.

For more information on the ballot or registration, visit sfelections.org/toolkit.

COMPLIED BY CASSIE BECKER cassbeck@mail.sfsu.edu

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6 A R T S & E N T E R T A I N M EN T

10.19.11

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THE STREET EDITION Street food has never been more popular in San Francisco and beyond.

Mobile chefs working out of everything from repurposed taco trucks to improvised carts have changed the culinary landscape. Street food gives cooks who might not have the capital to invest in a brick and mortar restaurant an opportunity to share their passion.

SWEET TOOTH

CRÈME BRULEE CART LASER ART: Artist Nicole Aptekar’s cardboard sculpture is displayed and lit in a storefront along busy Sixth Street as part of an art walk aimed at bringing foot traffic back to the Mid-Market neighborhood. Aptekar designs her art with 3D modeling software and then laser cuts cardboard. PHOTO BY JULIANA SEVERE

Art walk boosts blighted city blocks

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BY KC CROWELL

kcrowell@mail.sfsu.edu

Arts & Entertainment

OU WILL BE HARD-PRESSED TO find any paintbrushes or charcoal pencils in the studio of San Franciscobased artist Nicole Aptekar - though you will find a behemoth, humming laser cutter.

Aptekar has been creating works of art using tools more commonly found in manufacturing plants since 2005. This was when she shifted her focus from media-like graphic design to large scale, big art. Her skills include machining, welding and mastering most computer-controlled industrial tools she can get her hands on.

“I don’t feel like my inability to paint impedes on my ability to make art,” Aptekar said.

She works with a number of well-known local art groups, and also helped form another group by the name of Ardent Heavy Industries.

Now after years of collaborating on installations like a weaponized game of Dance Dance Revolution and a two-ton interactive sculpture that integrated fire, light and music, Aptekar has scaled down the size of her art for a new installation.

Aptekar installed two new works in an abandoned storefront on Sixth Street last Friday as part of 2 Blocks of Art, an art walk that aims to improve the neighborhood that many avoid.

Behind two smudged windows hang Aptekar’s newest sculptures, which are created by layering sheets upon sheets of precisely cut cardboard that spin into repeating geometric shapes.

Aptekar forms the sculptures using 3D modeling software on her computer. She then laser cuts sheets of paper to correspond to the design and assembles them to create the final product.

Aptekar’s art isn’t new to the area, either. Aptekar’s studio is in the neighborhood, and has previously shown her laser-cut paper art at a gallery next door to where her new pieces hang. She is also an adviser to Gray Area Foundation for the Arts, which was one of the first art foundations to move into the neighborhood.

“There was this big deal,” said Aptekar of the movement to bring artists into the blighted Mid-Market neighborhood.

OMNIVORE BOOKS EAT GOOD FOOD BOOK PARTY Thursday, Oct. 20 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Omnivore Books 3885 Cesar Chavez St.

“Gavin (Newsom) said it would be a start of this amazing arts corridor. It seems like that is slowly happening.”

According to Aptekar, art venues continue to emerge in the area. Partnered with numerous established art institutions, the result is an environment of artists who are able to coordinate and collaborate with one another. Additionally, Aptekar has found herself interacting with people in the neighborhood, especially those on the street.

“I’m pretty recognizable,” Aptekar said pointing to her bright pink head of hair. “At first I did the thing where I was ignoring everyone. I feel like I’m starting to connect. I appreciate that.”

On the day of 2 Blocks of Art, local businesses, galleries and even hotel lobbies turned into art installations.

The event was organized by an urban development foundation called Urban Solutions. Since 2003 Urban Solutions has worked to gradually improve Sixth Street. Their initiatives have brought 30 new businesses to the area and created 130 jobs.

According to a description of the event provided by Program Director Tracy Everwine, 2 Blocks of Art seeks to bring people into the neighborhood who otherwise might not visit.

“My friend who I am here with just told me about it and I thought why not,” said attendee Helen Wong. “I am really glad I did because this is a part of town I never come to and it’s cool that there are a bunch of people around for the same thing.”

Jay Frost, another participating artist, also sees the value in bringing art to the area. On the day of 2 Blocks of Art, he set up a wall inside a nightclub that anyone could come in and paint. By the end of the day the wall was covered in trees, suns and other hand-painted designs.

Frost also said that using art to bring tourism to the neighborhood is a key to improving Sixth Street and the surrounding mid-Market area.

“Until tourists feel safe on Market Street, it’s not going to happen,” Frost said.

Art walks like 2 Blocks of Art highlight the symbiotic relationship between redevelopment and art and between the art and the artist “I don’t know if it’s having an effect on the area,” Aptekar said. “But the area is having an effect on me.”

Although some of the installations for 2 Blocks of Art were temporary, numerous galleries along Sixth Street host the works of many of the artists featured in the event.

2011 HARVEST FESTIVAL

I JUST WANNA F*CKIN’ DANCE

Saturday to Sunday, Oct. 22-23 Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

San Francisco Ferry Building

Saturday, Oct. 22 10 p.m. at Beatbox 314 11th St.

SF ZOMBIE CRAWL Saturday, Oct. 22 7 p.m. at Civic Center Plaza

HINT: Since 2009, this cart has been pushing some amazing interpretations of the classic dessert. Flavors include White Russian and s’mores. For more information on the cart’s daily location, follow @cremebruleecart on Twitter.

CHEAP EATS

BACON DOG CART HINT: Like a clandestine, nameless force, these carts are typically found in their native habitat of Mission Street between 18th and 24th streets. Occasionally they migrate to the Castro to sell their delicious, greasy treats.

ROMANTIC

CHAAC MOOL HINT: Serving some amazing Yucatecan cuisine, Chaac Mool has become a semipermanent fixture of Dolores Park. Grab a couple Yucatecan tamales and enjoy a sunset date in the park with that special someone.

WILDCARD

THE RIB WHIP HINT: The Rib Whip is exactly what it sounds like - hearty BBQ served up out of a truck.

Juicy ribs aren’t all they offer; the menu includes seasonal items like grilled asparagus as well. Visit theribwhip.com for their daily location.

AN XPRESS GUIDE TO DINING IN THE CITY. COMPILED BY A&E REPORTER KC CROWELL, WHO WENT TO SCHOOL FOR BAKING AND PASTRY ARTS, AND HAS COOKED HER WAY THROUGH A NUMBER OF RESPECTED BAY AREA RESTAURANTS.

10.19.11

77

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For Current Activities: St. Thomas More:

(415) 452-9634 Mondays: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Close to campus! Please call Verbum Dei: (415) 573-9062

Check us out online!

http://goldengatexpress.org 2010 winner of the Associate Collegiate Press Award for Best College News Website!

The above is a paid ad and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Xpress, nor do we guarantee the accuracy or reliability of any statement, opinion or view presented.

8 OPINION

10.19.11

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EDITORIAL

OccupySF needs a game plan to get more players

A PUBLICATION OF SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY KELLY GOFF

EDITOR IN CHIEF kgoff@mail.sfsu.edu

SARA DONCHEY

ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR sdonchey@mail.sfsu.edu

CAITLIN OLSON

PRINT MANAGING EDITOR caitpat@mail.sfsu.edu

NATALIE YEMENIDJIAN ART DIRECTOR nataliey@mail.sfsu.edu

AARON WILLIAMS

WEB DIRECTOR aarOn@mail.sfsu.edu

MICHELLE OLSON

OPINION EDITOR maolson@mail.sfsu.edu

SCOTT GRAF

A&E EDITOR sgraf99@mail.sfsu.edu

JUAN DE ANDA

CAMPUS EDITOR juand@mail.sfsu.edu

JENNIFER TERMAN

CITY EDITOR jterman@mail.sfsu.edu

CASSIE BECKER

COPY CHIEF cassbeck@mail.sfsu.edu

MEGAN TAROS

BREAKING NEWS EDITOR ch3no2@mail.sfsu.edu

ERIK VERDUZCO

PHOTO EDITOR erikv@mail.sfsu.edu

GODOFREDO VASQUEZ

SPORTS EDITOR gvasquez@mail.sfsu.edu

GIL RIEGO JR.

MEDIA EDITOR griegojr@mail.sfsu.edu

HENRY NGUYEN

ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR nenhenry@mail.sfsu.edu

RACHELE KANIGEL

FACULTY ADVISER kanigel@mail.sfsu.edu

SCOT TUCKER

PHOTO ADVISER tucker@sfsu.edu

EVA CHARLES

ADVERTISING echarles@mail.sfsu.edu

BARBARA LANDIS

PRODUCTION & BUSINESS ggxads@mail.sfsu.edu

JUSTIN OROZCO

CIRCULATION jaorozo@mail.sfsu.edu

ARUN UNNIKRASHNAN I.T. CONSULTANT arun@mail.sfsu.edu

WRITE US A LETTER The Golden Gate Xpress accepts letters no longer than 200 words.

Letters are subject to editing. Send letters to Michelle Olson at: maolson@mail.sfsu.edu

U

than four percent. That means NLESS YOU’VE they pay at least $45,000 less tobeen living under day than they did 10 years ago, a rock for the last according to calculations based month, there has on a tax rate report from the Tax been no way to Foundation. ignore the moveThe average annual family ment known as #OccupySF. income of the bottom 90 percent The protests have created a is less than $45,000. So low-end lot of buzz and received mass millionaires are saving more media attention since the Occupy than the average family makes Wall Street movement started in in a year. the Financial District of New York That $45,000 in tax revenue Sept. 17, then spread like wildfire could go a long way. The top 10 through North America. earning congress members all But it’s like reading a Nancy voted for these tax cuts, accordDrew novel trying to figure out ing to 2009 congressional data. exactly what they are rebelling Occupiers should approach against.

Reps. Darrell Issa, Jane HarIf the movement has any hope man, Vern Buchanan, Jared of truly effecting change, they need Polis and Sens. John Kerry and to refine their goals to be measurDianne Feinstein directly and able and achievable. openly.

With so many issues on the With all the attention the table, from bank bailouts and #OccupySF movement has recorporate politics to the Iraq and ceived, they need to prove now, Afghanistan wars and high unemmore than ever, that they are ployment rates, it’s hard to see the serious. finish line.

They must keep the momenThese all are intertwined, but tum going and prove that they for politicians to get behind the are not just some hippies and cause protestors need to give them ARTWORK BY SARA DONCHEY sdonchey@mail.sfsu.edu college students trying to block a game plan. a bank entrance.

The purpose should not be to These acts are justified. destroy economic infrastructure, but rather offer practical solutions to Banks were bailed out, but employment rates barely changed. the mistakes that spurred the protests to begin with.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the California unemployHere are some suggestions that should be the focus since socioment rate for August was only 0.3 percent lower than the year before. economic conditions are the underlying motivator for many protestors.

The government spent $8 billion to extend unemployment benefits, but spent $25 billion to bailout Wells Fargo & Co. In 2008, the average family income of the wealthiest one percent was more than $1.1 million, while the other 99 percent had an averThe Employment Development Department of California reported age family income that was less than a tenth of that, according to a that as of last week more than 544,000 unemployed Californians have study by Emmanuel Saez, an economics professor at UC Berkeley run out of all available unemployment benefits. and the director of the university’s Center for Equitable Growth.

The rich keep getting richer. The poorer keep getting poorer.

Anyone that has passed eighth grade algebra should be able to If the Occupy movement has any chance of succeeding, they need understand that the more you make, the more taxes you should pay. to stop worrying about their tents getting torn down and focus on But since 2000, the taxes on millionaires have gone down more building up their message.

COLUMN

Educators are the job creators

BY MIKE BEBERNES

bebernes@mail.sfsu.edu

All of a sudden rich people are getting credit for being “job creators.” The punditry argues that the wealthy should have money filtered their way so they can create employment for the rest of us.

This notion is nonsense. I do, however, believe that there are indeed job creators out there. We’re just looking in the wrong place.

Teachers are the real job creators.

Teachers are the fuel that powers the American economy. We should stop treating greed as a virtue. Let’s pump money into the professions that build us up, rather than the ones that trickle down.

It’s safe to assume that every person who’s leading a company of any consequence in this country got some guidance from a few teachers along the way. There’s been so much talk in recent days about how the world would be different had Steve Jobs never existed. That consideration should be extended to how the world would have suffered without the people who educated Jobs along the way.

Sam Walton is America’s most successful job creator in the traditional sense. His

company Walmart influenced the lives of 2.1 million employees in 2010. Good for him. America’s schools as a collective had the opportunity to affect over 75 million students in the same year.

The breadth and reach of educators is far greater than any corporation or individual.

Teachers have a power of influence that knows no comparison.

We should pay teachers a salary commensurate to their impact and stop siphoning away the ever-dwindling resources they need to do their jobs properly.

Let’s strip away the moral, ethical and human reasoning behind wanting an educated population, and just focus on simple dollars and cents.

The single most potent indicator of personal income is education level. Americans with bachelor’s degrees earn, on average, about twice as much as those with a high school diploma. College graduates contribute hundreds of thousands more dollars in income taxes than high school graduates over the course of a career.

At average income levels and tax rates, if 20 percent of 45 million American workers with high school diplomas instead had bachelors degrees, they would add an extra

$51 billion a year to the tax revenue pot.

Consider also that unemployment for those with no diploma is three times the rate for college graduates.

America rode a golden age of economic dominance in the post-World War II era largely on the backs of soldiers educated by the G.I. Bill. Education levels in the U.S. rose steadily throughout the 20th century until the late 1970s. Since then, they have remained static as America has watched its role as global economic hegemon disappear.

The trend in education is to devalue teachers.

Class sizes bulge as supplies and resources evaporate. Test scores plummet.

More and more undereducated people flood into a work force that is already saturated.

The country and the world would benefit from a redirection of funds into the hands of teachers.

Let’s treat our teachers they way we treat our executives. Forget write-offs for corporate jets: Create deductions for dry erase markers. Let teachers file aides as dependents. Count parent-teacher conferences as hazard pay.

The better our teachers, the smarter our population, the better our economy.

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 Kelly Goff at: kgoff@mail.sfsu.edu

CORRECTIONS FOR XPRESS PRINT EDITIONS

In the 8.24 article “Long-serving president of SF State announces retirement,” it was incorrectly stated that President Robert A. Corrigan came to the University from the University of Maryland. Before becoming president of SF State, he served a chancellor at the University of Massachusetts for nine years.

Prior to that he was a provost at the University of Maryland.

In the 9.28 article “Writing Outside the Comfort Zone,” it was said that this year is the first time that Professor Julian Hoxter has taught screenwriting for longer feature films.

He has been teaching long form screenwriting as a discrete subject since 2008, and integrated with other aspects of filmmaking since 1994.

In the 10.12 article “Progress report: Gator volleyball in review,” the team’s current record was printed as 16-11.

This overall score was a year-end projection, not their record as of last week.

We regret the errors.

10.19.11

| GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

Occupation continues

Maria Poblet, Executive Director of Causa Justa, rallies a small crowd of protesters outside Wells Fargo on California Street in San Francisco Oct. 12. A group of people blocked the entrance to the bank for about five hours to protest bank foreclosures.

PHOTO BY ELIJAH NOUVELAGE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Plaza Saturday. Police entered the plaza Sunday night and began removing tents and camping gear with city trucks.

Rachel Schrader, 18, of Fremont, said that the people arrested were temporarily detained for obstructing traffic.

The group had their first confrontation with the San Francisco Police Department two weeks ago when trucks from the Department of Public Works were brought to clear tents and other personal items from the camp.

Protesters attempted to create a barrier with tables and chairs from neighboring businesses to keep the trucks from leaving with their belongings.

Jeff Goldsmith, an employee at nearby company Autodesk, said he supports the movement, but that it is unfortunate that the people that are able to participate do not represent the majority of society.

“Although many of us have the same politics, these protesters come from different cultures which bring about a lot of negative remarks from my coworkers,” Goldsmith said.

Some businesses have not been affected by

the protests.

“Our business is the pretty much same as usual,” said Orlando Hudson Jr., a barista at Peet’s Coffee and Tea, “I am part of the 99 percent, but I have to work for the man or else I’d be out there too.”

Recently the protests spread to the SF State campus, as the several dozen people met for the first time in front of the Ethnic Studies building Thursday as part of the first OccupySFSU meeting.

“I think public education is under attack,” said Ann Robertson, philosophy professor at SF State. “Tuition is rising rapidly and students have less access to higher public education.”

In order to bring awareness to the demonstration and to the rising tuition increase and budget cuts, Luke Barnesmoore, 19-year-old international relations major, pitched a tent outside the Cesar Chavez Student Center Friday.

“Without education we are no longer able to be productive on a global scale,” Barnesmoore said. “Education is the last place where funds should be cut.”

Demonstrators voted to hold general assembly meetings every Monday and Thursday at noon in front of the Ethnic Studies building.

FORUM TO HOST MAYORAL HOPEFULS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

tions for ten candidates including John Avalos, Paul Currier, Wilma Pang, Cesar Ascarrunz, Bevan Dufty, Joanna Rees, Emil Lawrence, Terry Baum, David Chiu and Leland Yee. According to Yesenia Martinez, vice president of external affairs, ASI sought cultural and political student organizations for this event to offer them the opportunity to engage with the candidates as well.

“I genuinely feel the student organizations will gain an understanding by hosting event that we are a serious board,” Martinez said.

“We get stuff done, we all try to be the voice for students the best way we can.”

Students also believe that this forum will help to connect the mayoral candidates with the SF State community.

“Politicians need to be able to have a discourse with the youthful forward thinkers at SF State,” said Jackson Peining, 20, SF State junior and international relations major. “Finally bridge the gap.”

To bridge that gap and raise voting awareness, the SF State College Democrats organization has also been working with ASI to organize a voter registration campaign.

The College Democrats hope to register at least 50 students, according to Paul Murre.

“It’s important for young people to register to vote because we have seen the CSU system being sidelined time after time again by California state government,” Murre said.

“If students vote, then politicians in Sacramento may reconsider slashing vital funding and increasing tuition next time, if young people turn out this November.”

9

10 S P O R T S PLAYER of the

WEEK

10.19.11

ROBERT GILBERT MEN’S SOCCER PHOTO BY TYLER DENISTON/ SF STATE SPORTS

| GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

As the holder of the game-winning goal, Robert Gilbert proved to be a vital asset for the SF State men’s soccer team. His goal in Sunday’s game against Cal State Stanislaus came with 40 seconds left in the first half. Gilbert came in as a substitute for Antonio Ugarte in the 26 minute. Gilbert’s first goal for the Gators ended the team’s five-game losing streak and clenched the win for the team’s last home game.

GATORS’ SPORTS SCHEDULE FRIDAY, OCT. 21 WOMEN’S SOCCER SF State at Cal State Los Angeles at 7 p.m. (Los Angeles, Calif.)

MEN’S SOCCER SF State at Cal State Los Angeles at 4:30 p.m. (Los Angeles, Calif.)

VOLLEYBALL SF State v. Cal State Stanislaus at 7 p.m. (San Francisco, Calif.)

SATURDAY, OCT. 22 VOLLEYBALL SF State v. Chico State at 7 p.m. (San Francisco, Calif.)

CROSS COUNTRY SF State at California Collegiate Athletic Association Championship (Santa Rosa, Calif.)

FANCY FEET: SF State midfielder Saman Assadi collides with Cal State Stanislaus defender Miguel Torres during the first half of the soccer game at Cox Stadium Sunday. PHOTO BY GODOFREDO VASQUEZ

SUNDAY, OCT. 23

MEN’S SOCCER REVIEW: SAVING THEIR SEASON

WOMEN’S SOCCER SF State at Cal State Dominguez Hills at 11:30 a.m. (Carson, Calif.)

MEN’S SOCCER SF State at Cal State Dominguez Hills at 2 p.m. (Carson, Calif.)

SCORES FROM THE LAST WEEK OF GATOR SPORTS

MEN’S SOCCER Oct. 14 SF SF State v.

LOSS Chico State 0-1 WIN

Oct. 16 SF State v. Cal State Stanislaus 1-0

WOMEN’S SOCCER WIN

Oct. 14 SF State v.

Chico State 2-1

LOSS

Oct. 16 SF State vs. Cal State Stanislaus 0-4

VOLLEYBALL Oct. 14 SF State vs. UC

LOSS San Diego 2-3

LOSS

Oct. 15 SF State vs. Cal State San Bernardino 0-3

BY KEALAN CRONIN

W

kealan@mail.sfsu.edu

ITH FOUR GAMES LEFT IN THE season, the SF State men’s soccer team continues to work on their goal scoring and chemistry, two points of focus projected earlier in the season.

This season the Gators have more new faces with only a few returning veterans. The veterans, who are coming off another losing season, have taken the responsibility to create team chemistry and maintain solid playing to achieve wins.

So far, the Gators hold a California Collegiate Athletic Association record of 4-7-1, despite a three game winning streak. Still, the chemistry and teamwork of the Gators is palpable; five out of the seven losses were within a one goal difference and four of them were lost in the last 15 to 20 minutes. The Gators have been persistently outshooting their opponents 225-156. Both the offense and the defense have built their own rhythm to achieve the Gators’ goals.

Here are a few highlights so far.

MVPS

All of the players on the SF State men’s soccer team contribute to their performance, evident in their strong team bond. However, there are two players who have risen to the challenge this season, giving the Gators an extra push toward success.

ERIC SCOLMAN

Despite recording only one shutout game, Scolman, the team’s goalkeeper, stepped up in a time when all three goalies were injured. Even with a hurt knee, Scolman recorded 46 saves and has been accountable for the solid Gator defense. For most games opponents were kept down to one or two goals, evidence for a strong goalie and solid defense.

FIDEL MEDINA

As a first-time player for the Gators, Medina took control on the opposite side of the field. Medina controls the ball up top, creating quick passing plays and distributing through balls for chances to score. He has recorded one assist and two goals out of 18 shots, half of which were on target. Although his average might not seem remarkable,

Medina shows his teammates that they can’t score if they don’t shoot.

TEAM HIGHS

The Gators had a slow start to the season, still finding their rhythm through the first three games, two of which ended in losses and the other in a tie. However by the fourth game of the season, the team chemistry clicked and the Gators picked up their first season win against Cal State San Bernardino.

With the first win under their belt, the Gators continued into a three-game winning streak. The wins were a result of the Gators playing the kind of game they had been striving for all season: quick passing, solid defense and precision.

The team is at their best when they utilized the whole field, to build up their goal scoring opportunities through either ground-ball assists or accurate crosses.

TEAM LOWS

The Gators broke their five-game losing streak Sunday when they beat Cal State Stanislaus 1-0. During their slump, the Gators were scoreless four games. The lack of accurate shooting was most evident in the 0-3 loss against Cal State Los Angeles. That defeat marked the second game in the five-game losing streak. Putting goals in the back of the net isn’t the team’s only setback. In losing games, the Gators don’t create the kind of passing game that made them most effective and dangerous in their winning streak earlier in the season.

WHAT’S NEXT?

The team’s chemistry and precision will need to be reestablished in their upcoming games against Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State Los Angeles. The Gators will have to win the rest of their four games to close the season on a high note. The team has the drive to finish with a winning record, but they will have to maintain teamwork and their solid style of playing to do so.

CURRENT RECORD CCAA 4-7-1

Overall 5-7-2

10.19.11

| GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

WOMEN’S SOCCER REVIEW: Playoffs still inbounds despite losses

BALLIN’: SF State’s Nicole Vanni prepares to kick during a game against Chico State at Cox Stadium Friday.

The Gators beat the Wildcats 2-1.

PHOTO BY CINDY WATERS

BY MICHAEL BEBERNES

T

bebernes@mail.sfsu.edu

HE 2011 SF STATE WOMEN’S soccer team is a confounding bunch. They have showed the ability to flat-out dominate the best teams in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. They have also suffered losses to teams they should beat handily.

This is in large part the same group that took home the school’s first and only CCAA title in any sport. For a big chunk of the season, they looked primed to repeat that feat.

The Gators opened the season on a 6-1-1 run. The game plan was simple. Rely on their impenetrable defense, which gave up just two goals in the first eight games, while hoping for magic in the offensive end.

The formula worked well for a while.

Each of the Gators’ first four matches went to double overtime after ending regulation play at 0-0.

Three of those matches ended with an SF State player scoring a golden goal in sudden death to give the Gators a victory, the fourth in a draw.

Twice it was junior midfielder Nicole Vanni who

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S P O R T S 11

made the game-winning play. Vanni carried the team through much of the year when she scored five goals in three games, all Gator victories. She has scored half of the Gators’ goals this season.

The Gator defense seemed unbeatable at times.

Senior goalkeeper Annicia Jones had seven shutouts in the team’s first eight games. The only blemish came in a heartbreaking overtime loss to current conference leader UC San Diego.

Jones may have been the one compiling the gaudy statistics, but her backline of Tamerra Griffin, Nicole Smith, Kaitlin Dick and Lauren Duran were equally responsible for shutting down opposing offenses.

The Gators play a physical, in-your-face style of soccer. They are consistently the more aggressive, intimidating team on the field. This style has broken the wills of a number of their opponents as the game wears on. Of the Gators’ 14 goals this season, 11 have come in the second half or overtime.

When Gators tore through Humboldt State, Sonoma State and Cal State San Bernardino with a 6-0 total tally in mid-season, they looked comfortably stationed for a playoff spot and a run at the title.

Somewhere along the way, the team lost its magic.

The Gators have lost four of their last six games while at times looking flustered and unsure.

A big element of the decline can be attributed to injuries of two of the team’s defensive stalwarts. Duran and Dick have each missed full games in the past two weeks. The status of Dick’s knee and Duran’s ankle are uncertain at the moment.

Their absence can be seen on the scoreboard. After allowing just two goals in their first eight games, the Gators have given up 9 in the last five.

The Gators’ last two games have been a perfect capsule of the wild polarity in their quality of play.

They followed up a thrilling 2-1 win over a tough Chico State team with a mind-boggling 4-0 loss to Cal State Stanislaus in which they allowed four goals in eight minutes.

The team is on the outside looking in at the playoffs with a record 8-5-1 and four games remaining.

A bid to the postseason is still within reach, but the Gators need to find a way to recapture the lightning that has slipped from their bottle.

12 12

10.19.11 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG