Fall 2015 Issue 14

press GOLDEN GATE

December 2, 2015 Issue 14 VOLUME CI

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GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

Serving the San Francisco State community since 1927

Harassment scandal shifts perspective on Title IX ALLISON MICHIE

amichie@mail.sfsu.edu

CHANTEL CARNES ccarnes@mail.sfsu.edu

CREO NOVENO

cnoveno@mail.sfsu.edu

Allegations of worldrenowned astronomer Geoffrey Marcy’s sexual harassment of students while teaching at SF State and University of California, Berkeley and recent changes to Title IX have raised questions about professorstudent relationships.

Marcy taught at SF State from 1984 to 1999 in the department of physics and astronomy and remained an adjunct professor until two months ago. He resigned Oct. 14 from UC Berkeley, where he had taught for the last 16 years, following a six-month long sexual harassment investigation that prompted several victims from both schools to come forward, the Golden Gate Xpress reported.

Pauline Gagnon, now a senior research scientist at Indiana University Bloomington, said she first met Marcy in 1986 when she was a master’s student and parttime lecturer in the physics and astronomy department at SF State. It was then that she said she first felt uncomfortable around Marcy, a rising professor in the department. “(Marcy) was always flirtatious, making inappropriate comments – particularly regarding my girlfriend – making lewd comments or using a tone that made me highly uncomfortable,” Gagnon said.

“I felt vulnerable even though I was not Marcy’s student and was his peer as a lecturer, but I was still just a graduate student.”

harassment Continued ON PAGE 2

Fashion club ramps up for fall show ANGELICA EKEKE / XPRESS

PRECISION: SF State fashion design major Lia Herrera pins fabric to a mannequin as she prepares to sew a skirt that will be featured in the yearly fashion show themed “Nostalgia” in the fashion lab in Burke Hall at SF State Nov. 30.

read more on page 6 & 7

Faculty space to reopen after 10-year hiatus GENESIS CHAVEZ- CARO gchavezc@mail.sfsu.edu

SF State President Leslie E. Wong donated $100,000 this year to bring back the University Club on campus, according to the Campus Memo.

The University Club was a restaurant and lounge for SF State employees designed to increase collaboration and foster a greater sense of community, according to senior assistant librarian Meredith Eliassen, who said the club was a private organization

owned by approximately 500 members, including faculty and staff. It was established in 1977 and located in the Franciscan Building next to the old library, she said.

The new UClub is set to open August 2016, and the new location will be in the Mezzanine level of the Cesar Chavez Student Center, where the bookstore’s offices previously resided, according to Jonathan Morales, director of news media.

“Since the prior club ceased operations, there has been a desire to identify a new space to provide to members of the faculty

and staff community,” Morales said.

“Only recently has a space been identified.

Additionally, the University Corporation and the Academic Senate have collaborated to develop a funding and operations model to support the club’s activities.”

The club offered faculty and staff light meals and alcoholic beverages and was preferred because it was cheaper than the (Cesar Chavez Student Center), Eliassen said.

Uclub Continued ON PAGE 4

El Niño storms toward SF State ALLISON MICHIE

amichie@mail.sfsu.edu

With El Niño rapidly approaching, California is predicted to have one of the wettest and most intense winters in the past 100 years, to Frank Fasano, interim associate vice president of facilities and service enterprises at SF State.

“The main El Niño impacts will come during late December through March,” said David Reynolds, the lead meteorologist at the National

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Weather Service Forecast Office in the San Francisco Bay Area. ”I am not saying we could not get a few strong storms with high winds, down trees and power outages, as in any winter. It is just that you should expect more rainy days than normal.

Especially since we have had four dry winters in a row.”

The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center reported that some conditions of El Niño are currently present, including continuous sea-surface temperature

T WITTER

@XpressNews

BRIAN CHURCHWELL / XPRESS

PREPARATION:

anomalies in the Pacific Ocean, according to a report released Nov. 12.

El Niño is not a storm, but a rapid rise in ocean temperatures in the eastern tropical Pacific that interacts with the atmosphere to produce an abnormally strong jet stream, causing several storms to hit consecutively, according to John P. Monteverdi, professor of meteorology at SF State.

Ming Chan, from SF State facilities, is the operator of the high pressure pipe jetting system, shown in the Corporation Yard on Monday, Nov. 16. The system is used to clear clogs in storm and sewer drains on campus.

El NIno Continued ON PAGE 3

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2 NEWS

Wednesday, December 2, 2015 goldengatexpress.org

Title IX changes define boundaries between students and faculty Harassment Continued from the front

Marcy’s inappropriate behavior was perpetuated by the policies and perceptions regarding professorstudent relationships, which were much more lenient during that time period, according to Gagnon and her former co-worker Vicki Lindsay.

“Relationships between faculty and students were certainly seen as abuses of power, but the regulations were not as clear as they are under the new Title IX,” Lindsay said.

Recent changes to Title IX include a rule that prohibits consensual relationships between professors and students at all California State Universities, according to an SF State Title IX notice.

James Kelley, who was the dean of the College of Science and Engineering from 1975 to 2001, remembered Marcy as a promising young scientist and said he couldn’t recall instances of impropriety during Marcy’s time at SF State.

“Usually when there is an allegation of sexual harassment in the college, it got to my desk pretty directly, and there were such allegations, which we investigated and resolved in an appropriate manner, but there was nothing in my 27 years as dean that reached the dimensions of the pattern which apparently developed at Berkeley in the more than 10 years Dr. Marcy was there,” Kelley said.

A 2015 survey from the Association of American Colleges found that more than 7 percent of students who reported being sexually harassed said they were harassed by a faculty or staff member or administrator.

The new rule prohibiting romantic relationships between school employees and students was adopted by the CSU June 23, according to CSU Title IX Coordinator Pamela Thomason, who said in an email that the rule aims to prevent favoritism, exploitation and conflicts of interest.

The ban includes teaching assistants, lecturers, coaches, residential hall staff and others with similar authority over students, according to SF State Title IX Coordinator

Luoluo Hong, who is responsible for implementing and overseeing the procedures in response to complaints, which are detailed in CSU Executive Orders 1096 and 1097.

Those reporting complaints against faculty members can opt out of an investigation and resolve the issue through an early resolution, which would address the complainant’s concerns and requests, Hong said in an email.

Complainants are also referred to medical care and mental health support services as needed, she said.

However, if SF State’s Title IX team deems an investigation is necessary, then an investigator is assigned to determine whether

“ ” Relationships between faculty and students were certainly seen as abuses of power, but the regulations were not as clear as they are under the new Title IX.

- Vicki Lindsay

there is at least a 51 percent chance that the violation did occur, in which case an investigation would be initiated, and both the complainant and the respondent would have the opportunity to appeal once a finding is made, Hong said.

“It is important to emphasize that when the University institutes its administrative procedures, we are determining if a policy violation occurred, not whether a crime has happened,” Hong said.

“This is why we use a different standard of evidence and have different investigative approaches.”

In the 2014-2015 fiscal year, there were 10 sexual violence reports and three sexual violence investigations at SF State in which a CSU employee was the respondent, according to the University’s annual Title IX report.

Creative writing Professor Paul Hoover said the allegations surrounding Marcy make the issue a delicate topic.

“It’s a sad story, because (Marcy)

did great here as an astronomy professor at State, but I’m not sure about him personally, but it sounds like he ruined everything through misbehavior,” Hoover said.

Hoover said the nuances of the studentteacher relationship can be difficult to navigate.

“It’s understood that you are not supposed to have a relationship with students, so it’s fine if it’s explicitly stated,” Hoover said. “It’s not appropriate for a male professor to invite a female student to office hours at his home; I think that may be borderline. Even when I meet with students in my office, I usually keep the door open unless it’s too noisy in the hall and the student requests it to be closed.”

Liberal studies associate professor Jose Acacio de Barros said the ban on studentprofessor romantic relationships is sound policy.

“Universities are hierarchical institutions, and faculty has sometimes lots of power over students. When such relationships exist, they may get in the way of equal access to education, which is exactly what Title IX is trying to address,” de Barros said. “For example, a faculty (member) might give more academic opportunities to someone with whom he or she is involved than to other students, or at least give the perception to others that such imbalance is happening.”

Relationships between faculty and students develop primarily due to romantic attraction fostered by a close environment, according to SF State psychology associate professor Christian Wright.

The dynamic of romantic relationships between professors and students makes them professionally inappropriate, Wright said.

“The studentprofessor relationship involves a power dynamic that is similar to subordinatesupervisor in a workplace,” Wright said. “This imbalance in power provides opportunities for the professor to exploit the student, in my opinion.”

GRAPHIC BY EVA RODRIGUEZ

NEWS 3

Wednesday, December 2, 2015 goldengatexpress.org

Campus braces for El Niño flooding El Niño Continued from the front “El-Niño-influenced storms usually produce moderateto-heavy daily rainfall totals but nothing extraordinary,” Monteverdi said in an email.

“What becomes ‘extraordinary’ is that we get repetitive storm events – many days with rain – because the jet stream, aka storm tracks, becomes fixed over Central and Southern California.”

Both Fasano and Monteverdi advise students that the heavy storms may lead to blackouts, flooding and leaking on campus.

“We’re expecting a very harsh rain situation this year – it could be one of the 50 or 100-year rains,” Fasano said, explaining that rain this year may be the heaviest in up to 100 years. “They’re expecting possibly even more than that, according to some of the different reports and people that are trying to gauge this.”

Environmental studies major Rachel DeLuca said she is preparing for the inevitable transportation delays the approaching storms may cause.

“Students who live on campus in (University Park North) and (University Park South) have to walk to school, and they might be discouraged to go to class during winter months because of the long walks,” DeLuca said. “People just need to be prepared that transportation will take longer and to also secure (their) homes to ensure protection from water as well as

power outages.”

SF State facilities and service enterprises have been removing dead trees that could fall during a storm and regularly assessing roofs around campus as preemptive measures, Fasano said. The department has also been conducting weekly and monthly checks around campus to make sure that storm drains remain free of debris, according to Fasano.

“I think it was last year, there was quite a flood that happened because of some of the configurations of the drainage system (on campus),” Fasano said. “We’re trying to be proactive and manage the water rather than letting it build up and overflow onto our campus.”

Due to the flooding last year from flash floods and strong winds that shut down the campus, the department has been working with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and Cal Trans to install additional storm drains and associate piping to help relieve potential flooding on 19th Avenue near Hensill Hall, Fasano said.

The campus recently acquired a high-powered “jetter,” which Fasano called a “last line of defense.” The machine can unclog storm drains and drainage pipes when there is serious clogging due to high-impact storms, he said.

“We own that (machine), and we have that on site. It’s been inspected and is ready to go in

BRIAN CHURCHWELL / XPRESS

DRAINAGE: SF State utilizes a high pressure pipe jetting system, shown in the Corporation Yard Monday, Nov. 16, to clear clogs in storm and sewer drains. The system uses a diesel engine to pressurize water to 4,000 pounds per square inch, which drives the hose and head into the pipe and breaks up the blockage.

case we have any storm drain clogging,” Fasano said.

The heavy rains may also result in the campus having to shut down for rain days, Fasano said. In the event of unsafe conditions that may cause damage or put anyone in danger, SF State administration would make decisions accordingly.

Facilities and service enterprises would like to remind students, faculty and staff during rainstorms to close doors and

windows after leaving any room on campus in order to prevent flooding.

“I can’t give any better advice than that,” Fasano said.

“People just don’t think about it.

If we have one of these vicious rainstorms, it could cause major flooding damage inside the buildings on something that could have been avoided.”

The light rainfall that hit the Bay Area earlier this semester, around Halloween, was a good

test to help the campus prepare for the storms expected this winter, according to Fasano.

“We had a little minor leaking but nothing major. We know some areas that are potential leaking areas, and we’re trying to mitigate that before the rains starts, but you never know,” Fasano said. “It depends on the condition of a roof and a lot of things – new leaks can develop.”

4 news Wong’s $100,000 donation helps UClub secure a new location Wednesday, December 2, 2015 goldengatexpress.org

uclub Continued from the front

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSEPH O. DIAZ

FACULTY LOUNGE: The Franciscan Building, built in December 1962, before it was demolished in 2005 to make

space for a new addition to the J. Paul Leonard Library, where the University Club had a restaurant and lounge for SF State employees and faculty.

staff and invited artists that was “(At the original UClub,) sometimes for sale,” Eliassen there were sofas and a coffee said. table with a chess set and The Franciscan New Yorkers near the Building, where fireplace that the club gave it a homey operated, feel,” Eliassen The president believes it is was the said. “Holiday first critical that we support our parties and, building towards faculty and staff by providing on the end, them with a place to meet, campus events like collaborate, share ideas and to be (the) ‘Are create community. designed You Being by a Served?’ private (luncheon) -Jonathan Morales architect in were held there.”

1961 and cost UClub could the University accommodate $286,000, up to 150 people and had according to Eliassen. Issues two private dining rooms that arose for UClub when plans could be reserved for parties or for a new library were created, events, Eliassen said.

University librarian Deborah “The University Club also Masters said. exhibited artwork by faculty,

“

”

“It was located on the site of what became the west addition as a part of the library expansion and renovation project,” Masters said. “The Franciscan Building was demolished to provide the site for the library expansion.”

In 2005, when the existing library and the Franciscan Building were demolished to make room for the new J. Paul Leonard Library, UClub was left with no place to operate.

At the time, UClub was dwindling and could not sustain itself financially, according to the minutes from a 2005 Academic Senate Meeting.

“Core paid membership was low, income was poor, and strong campus interest was insufficient for support,” the minutes state. “Despite all efforts, membership and

UNIVERSITY CRIME BLOTTER Wednesday, Nov.25

BURGLARY: On the eve of Thanksgiving, University Police Department officers

responded to reports of a male suspect stealing bicycle parts near the Fine Arts Building on campus at 9:21 p.m. The suspect was taken into custody for possession of burglary tools and presenting a false ID to officers. The 29-year-old suspect was taken to County Jail 1 without incident.

Monday, Nov. 23

VEHICLE THEFT: UPD officers responded to a woman at University Park South

who reported not being able to find her car, claiming it was stolen. After attempts to search the area and locate the car failed, officers took a stolen vehicle report.

Friday, Nov. 20

PUBLIC INTOXICATION:

A 19-year-old intoxicated male was arrested for disorderly conduct outside the J. Paul Leonard Library around 9:28 p.m. when officers arrived on scene. The suspect was taken into protective custody for public intoxication and was sent to County Jail 1 without incident.

attendance were down.”

Membership had dropped from 462 members in 1997 to 167 in 2005, and the club reported a loss of $8,000 for their income during 2004, according to the minutes from the meeting.

A Campus Memo from 2005 said that the UClub Board of Directors had attempted to find a new space for the UClub after it closed, but when no suitable location was found, the club never reopened. Since the closure of the club, faculty members meet at the faculty commons located in the J. Paul Leonard Library which provides a space for faculty to reserve for non-private events such as brown bag meetings, readings or faculty potlucks.

Wong’s $100,000 donation was intended to help create space needed to re-establish the club, according to Morales, who said the donation came from discretionary, non-state funds.

“The president believes it is critical that we support our faculty and staff by providing them with a place to meet, collaborate, share ideas and

create community,” Morales said.

The club will be self-funded through membership dues set by the Academic Senate and revenue from an agreement with an existing campus food vendor to be selected by the Academic Senate. A $50,000 commitment from Follett, the campus bookstore chain, was also allocated by the University Corporation’s Bookstore Advisory Committee for faculty support and activities, Morales said.

The UClub is intended to serve faculty and staff across campus, as well as provide employment and potential internship opportunities for students, according to Morales.

“The purpose is to strengthen the campus community by creating a common space where faculty and staff can collaborate across all colleges and disciplines in order to foster dialogue and innovation,” Morales said.

“These types of interactions can improve the ways faculty and staff can serve SF State students.”

DAVID HENRY / XPRESS

ROOM WITH A VIEW: The current SF State Faculty Commons is on the second floor of the J. Paul Leonard Library, Tuesday, Dec. 1.

COMPILED BY XPRESS NEWS STAFF

Between Thursday, Nov. 19 and Saturday, Nov. 28, University Police responded to 21 incidents. Here are some of the most notable reports: Friday, Nov. 20

TAMPERING WITH FIRE ALARM: Officers responded to the activation of a fire

alarm in Hensill Hall, where they checked the area and determined that there was no sign of smoke or fire. The officer on scene labeled the incident as tampering with a fire alarm pull station.

Thursday, Nov. 19

PETTY THEFT: A female victim reports that her phone was stolen from the gymnasium on campus between 1-1:05 p.m. An officer takes a report, totaling losses at $700.

Wednesday, Nov. 18

HARASSMENT: Harassment by a staff member in the Humanities Building was reported to UPD at 4:57 p.m. Officers responded and took a report.

LIFESTYLE & CULTURE 5

Wednesday, December 2, 2015 goldengatexpress.org

Go-go dancers reveal demands of entertainment industry O

RISTI TEWOLDE

tewolde@mail.sfsu.edu

utfitted in a matching black lingerie set with blue-laced trimmings, elbow-length gloves and knee-high platform boots, business major and go-go dancer Mel Green shimmied the night away underneath the dazzling lights at City Night’s weekly Electro Pop Rocks party.

Green began dancing in 2012 after she was scouted by a representative from the national go-go team Juicy SF. The representative initially messaged her and suggested she should audition. The same representative approached Green when she spotted her dancing on another occasion and asked her to audition, not realizing it was her.

“I was always out dancing with my friends, and they’d always joke around saying I was going to be a go-go dancer,” Green said. “It was meant to be.”

Green’s demanding job as a gogo dancer and her full class load

only allow her a limited amount of free time. As demanding as the job may be, she said she wouldn’t trade it for anything else.

Erica Mendez, a 25-year-old go-go dancer and production manager for EPR, juggles different jobs as well. She used to be a flight attendant and said she would come straight to EPR from the airport, change as quickly as possible and head straight to the stage for a full night of dancing.

Since getting her degree in computer science, she’s now also a technical data analyst for an airline company, building software and coding.

“Never let anyone say you can’t do everything,” Mendez said.

“You can do it all.”

Former SF State student Noella Marie said she found it tough to balance her passion for dance with work and school, until the opportunity to audition for a resident dancer position at a

GABRIELLA ANGOTTI-JONES / SPECIAL TO XPRESS

BEHIND THE SCENES: Mel Green, business major and go-go dancer for EPR gets ready for her performance at Club X Wednesday, Nov. 18.

GABRIELLA ANGOTTI-JONES / SPECIAL TO XPRESS

WORKING THE CROWD: Mel Green, business major and go-go dancer for EPR, dances on stage at Club X Wednesday, Nov. 18.

popular local nightclub was presented to her in 2011.

“At this point, I was no longer dancing and was prioritizing work and school, and I thought this was the perfect opportunity to get my dancing and performing fix while still being able to make some money,” Marie said. “Little did I know that I would absolutely fall in love with it and still be so happy to be involved today.”

Green said there was a point when she was dancing three to five times a week while attending school full-time. She said she began having anxiety attacks and now only dances one to two times a week.

“It sucks, because it’s my stress reliever,” Green said. “I do this to feel good and let go.”

Green said she has the support of her friends and family, but that it hasn’t always been easy. Green said conflicts arose when she made the team.

“My mom is Filipino,” Green said. “She was raised differently.

This is not how she viewed me living my life. She basically thought I was a stripper.”

How people react to her career depends on how they were brought

up, according to Green.

“People our age know more about it,” she said. “They understand I just want to bring smiles to people’s faces.”

Green participated in Beyond Wonderland Bay Area, an

“

Even though I get down, I’m still progressing and learning.

”

-mel green

electronic dance festival, and called it “a real dream come true.”

She was in the flower chorus and wore a sparkly dress with a huge flower on her forehead. The second day, she was a glittery bunny.

“You have to stay in character the entire time, and we did 12-hour days,” Green said. “It really pushes you beyond your limits. I didn’t know I could dance all day like that.”

Green said she feels like go-go

dancing gave her confidence a huge roller coaster ride. She was over the moon when she first began and couldn’t believe she was chosen for the team, Green said.

“As the years go by, my confidence level goes down,” Green said. “We’re on stage and wearing little clothing, so we have to be fit. I’ll be looking in the mirror before getting ready and say to myself, ‘OK, I’m the fat go-go tonight.’”

Putting all of that aside, Green said she enjoys her job. She said people come up to her each night and tell her how wonderfully she dances, and that’s why she does it – to make people and herself happy.

“Even though I get down, I’m still progressing and learning,” Green said.

Green said she plans on having this job for as long as she can, especially after following a go-go dancing mom on Instagram, who quickly became her inspiration.

“They think we’re just girls dancing on stage,” Green said.

“We take this so seriously. It’s our job. It’s our passion and what we love to do.”

6 spotlight

spotlight 7

Wednesday, December 2, 2015 goldengatexpress.org

Wednesday, December 2, 2015 goldengatexpress.org

student designers move fashion forward with nostalgia ANGELICA EKEKE / XPRESS

TYLER PRIMAS

DESIGNERS: Amy Castaneda Huerta

tprimas@mail.sfsu.edu

S

(front) and Peyton Elizabeth Howell (back) pose for a portrait with a few of their designs featured in the upcoming yearly fashion show on Friday, Dec. 4 in a hallway on the fourth floor of Burk Hall at SF State Wednesday, Nov. 18.

COURTNEE BRIGGS cbriggs@mail.sfsu.edu

F State’s Fashion Network Association is snipping away at garments and bustling to get ready for their fall fashion show, to be held in Jack Adams Hall Dec. 4. This year’s theme is “Nostalgia.”

“Everything is going back through the decades, very ‘60s and ‘70s, and that’s how we came up with nostalgia,” FNA coPresident Blanca Ponce said.

The theme will be reflected through the venue’s decorations and the show’s collection of garments.

“We leave that up to them, since they are student designers, they’re free to do whatever they want,” co-President Alexius Baker said.

The show, which is planned completely by students, will feature 18 designers and has over 30 garments submitted so far. The show is open to all SF State students, whether they’re new to sewing and want to debut their designs or plan to enter the fashion industry after graduation.

“I think that’s the cool part of the show, we’re giving students a platform to submit something,” Baker said. “Our job is to just show what students can do.”

The FNA has been preparing for the show since summer. They started with advertising their club, then moved on to public relations, and are now starting the day-of preparations.

“Before, it was the idea, ‘What feel do we want to give off?” Ponce said. “Now

it’s like, ‘OK, where do we want to put the chairs, or set up the lights?’”

The FNA has five different committees for the show: front of house, which deals with ticket sales and day-of logistics; back of house, which handles models once the show is happening; designers; hair and makeup, and public relations.

Rodney Guvino, a member of the public relations team, has been writing articles for the FNA’s blog leading up to the show. “(The public relations team) has created a flyer, gotten on social media and worked on hashtags to let people know we have a show coming up,” Guvino said.

Baker and Ponce agreed their favorite part of preparing for the show has been seeing what the club has the ability to accomplish.

“It’s more than just a show,” Baker said. “It has more to do with what we can do as students and as a team.”

Kelly Reddy-Best, the advisor for the FNA, said she wholeheartedly trusts the designers and the students who are planning the show.

“As the advisor for FNA, I let the leaders and members guide the vision for the show,” ReddyBest said. “They ask for my input, but I always try to be supportive of their ideas. They create the flyer or promotional

materials, design the layout of the show and guide all of the details, from chair setup to the lineup of garments.”

Reddy-Best said that the FNA members have the potential to find their career path in the fashion industry.

“I think FNA is a great place to meet other students who are interested in the fashion industry and make those early connections while still a student,” Reddy-Best said.

Ponce said they’re taking a different approach to this year’s show, and that they’re excited for that surprise element.

“It’s not going to be your typical runway show,” Ponce said. “We’re going to do something a little different.”

Baker said she’s looking forward to the show representing the diversity of SF State’s student body and that through the preparation she’s gotten more involved with not only FNA members, but students on campus as a whole.

“SF State is so diverse and it has a lot of history behind that,” Baker said.

“I feel like our show is representing a lot of that.”

ANGELICA EKEKE / XPRESS

SEWING PROCESS: SF State fashion design major Lia Herrera designs

and constructs a skirt that will be featured in the yearly fashion show themed “Nostalgia” in the fashion lab in Burk Hall at SF State Monday, Nov. 30.

for more, check out our interactive multimedia piece on goldengatexpress.org

: s r e n g i s e d e h tt

mee

IG RYAN KOEN ERA

ALISS A BAR

LIA HERR

ENDS

E

DANIEL ZIPEROVICH A-GRA LEONOR

NH CE HUY

Leonora-Grace Huynh is a soon-tobe apparel design and merchandising major at SF State. Huynh said that she is designing two tops and a dress made out of t-shirts she got from a summer camp she participated in Chinatown. Huynh has exhibited the camp shirts in other fashion shows, and will be revamping the look with additional material.

Daniel Ziperovich is a senior in the design and industry department.

He is an industrial designer who has an interest in fashion. His focus is to bring light to the runway and mix technology with fashion. He says to expect a “big and over-the-top piece” that incorporates LED lights.

AMY CASTANDEDA

Alissa Barendse is a fifth-year senior in the design and industry department. Bernadse partnered with Ziperovich to design their piece, inspired by the rave and go-go dancer culture that include leg warmers and faux fur. Barendse will be modeling their design in the show.

Lia Herrera is a senior apparel design and merchandising major. For the show, she has designed two pieces inspired by her experience taking apart a computer. Herrera’s garments mimic the colors of the computer and its wires. Herrera said her pieces resemble art rather than clothing that is actually wearable. She said she is most looking forward to seeing the other designs featured in the show.

Amy Castaneda Huerta is a San Francisco native and third-year apparel design and merchandising major.

Castaneda Huerta said she is designing at least two garments for the show. She described her pieces as retro with mustard yellow and burgundy colors as well as vinyl material.

Ryan Koenig is a junior transfer student majoring in apparel design and merchandising. Koenig is designing two pieces from leftover fabric he got at his internship at Hybrid Apparel. He said his interest in art and experience in retail made him realize that he wanted to go into the fashion industry. This will be his first fashion show.

8 OPINION

Wednesday, December 2, 2015 goldengatexpress.org

press

STAFF EDITORIAL

GOLDEN GATE

NASHELLY CHAVEZ

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

DARCY FRACOLLI

MANAGING EDITOR dfracoll@mail.sfsu.edu

RISTI TEWOLDE

ONLINE SUPERVISING EDITOR tewolde@mail.sfsu.edu

EVA RODRIGUEZ

ART DIRECTOR erodrig2@mail.sfsu.edu

EMMA CHIANG

PHOTO EDITOR echiang@mail.sfsu.edu

AVERY PETERSON

NEWS EDITOR averylp@mail.sfsu.edu

CREO NOVENO

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR cnoveno@mail.sfsu.edu

KALANI RUIDAS

LIFESTYLE & CULTURE EDITOR kruidas@mail.sfsu.edu

REID CAMMACK

OPINION EDITOR reidcamm@mail.sfsu.edu

VINCENT FAUSONE IV

SPORTS EDITOR vfausone@mail.sfsu.edu

GENESIS CHAVEZ-CARO COPY EDITOR gchavezc@mail.sfsu.edu

LULU OROZCO

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR ohlulu@mail.sfsu.edu

JOCELYN CARRANZA

ASSISTANT MULTIMEDIA EDITOR jcarranz@mail.sfsu.edu

JESSICA NEMIRE

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR jdn@mail.sfsu.edu

RACHELE KANIGEL

PRINT ADVISER kanigel@mail.sfsu.edu

JIM TOLAND

FACULTY ADVISER toland@sfsu.edu

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PHOTO ADVISER tucker@sfsu.edu

EVA CHARLES

ADVERTISING & BUSINESS echarles@sfsu.edu

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

SAMANTHA LOPEZ CIRCULATION

SHAWN PERKINS

STUDENT GRAPHIC DESIGNER ggxads@sfsu.edu

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Student voices must be at the forefront of change

resident Leslie E. Wong announced that a pouring rights agreement would not be settled Nov. 19 to a bevy of students and faculty members in the Seven Hills Conference Center.

The response from those in attendance was clear: Thanks for making the right decision, but include us in the conversation at an earlier point.

“Behind my back, an action was about to be taken,” said David Melville, 32, a business administration major at SF State. “(The University was) about to make a deal with a Coke company for exclusive pouring rights on my campus.

Why were we not involved?”

The pouring rights agreement would have granted one major soda brand 80 percent of all shelf space at campus vendors in exchange for a one-time fee of $2 million and an annual fee lasting eight to 10 years of at least $125,000, according to the request for

COLLEGE STUDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE UNITING to combat injustices and inequity embedded in our higher education system

proposals.

Student groups and faculty voiced their opposition to the deal for more than six months, citing health issues and concerns about the funds’ allocation to the athletic department.

Student activism isn’t new at SF State. Wong ceased plans to move forward with equipping University Police with Tasers following student protests and an Associated Students, Inc. resolution against the measure in 2014 but was overruled by the California State University System earlier this year. The College of Ethnic Studies is the product of student protests for increased campus diversity in 1968 and 1969.

Students across the country are demanding a greater voice

in how their schools are run, from University of Missouri to Yale University, Ithaca College and Virginia Commonwealth University.

Activism is re-emerging as a viable way for students to be heard, and use of contemporary platforms is amplifying their messages in a way that wasn’t possible during the Civil Rights movement.

Some have dismissed the recent student protests as rash, emotional and baseless complaints that are rooted in passion, not facts.

“The rush to judgment, with forced resignations and premature acceptance of wrongdoing, is a blow to administrative rationality, undermines the rule of law, and

threatens civic relations,” wrote Michael Auslin in the National Review.

People only knock doors down when they feel like their voices aren’t being heard.

Critics of student protests fail to understand that it’s impossible to quantify what years of institutionalized racism, sexism and homophobia have done. The current generation of students have had to sit idly by while the previous ones went to war, destroyed the environment and wrecked the economy.

Students pay thousands of dollars to be at SF State every year, and we deserve a say in how the University is run.

Consulting with members of student government, holding open forums and listening to student protests are all great ideas, but it’s time to start putting them into practice before policies are implemented behind closed doors.

There’s no shame in waiting for the right time TYLER PRIMAS

tprimas@mail.sfsu.edu

While everyone is Netflix and chilling, bumping uglies and sliding into DMs, I’m keeping my cherry intact.

I’m 21 years old and still a virgin, and I really haven’t gone any further than making out with a boy. I’m knocking the books instead of knocking boots, and that’s nothing to be ashamed of. It has its perks, and it has its downfalls, but at the end of the day, it’s worth it to me.

I don’t refrain from having sex because of any kind of religious beliefs. I just believe that you should have sex with someone whom you care about.

That doesn’t mean that you have to be married to the person, but you should have some sort of love and care for that person.

Most of my best friends are sexually active. When we talk about sex, sometimes I feel left out. But when I do contribute, I often get told, “Oh, you wouldn’t know,” or, “When you finally have sex, you’ll know.”

I get treated like an amateur, which I guess you can say I am, but there’s a lot of ways to

learn about sex besides actually participating in the act.

When guys I talk to find out I’m a virgin, I get mixed reactions. Some guys really admire me for it, and some guys find

it to be a turnoff.

Those guys tell me that I’m playing hard to get and that I’m picky, and you’re damn right I’m picky.

You should be picky when you’re choosing a person to have sex with. It’s your body, and you shouldn’t let just anyone have it. Think of it like this: Imagine that you bought yourself a brand new Rolls Royce. Would you just let anyone drive it? I know I wouldn’t.

Your body is worth

ILLUSTRATION BY EVA RODRIGUEZ

way more than a Rolls Royce, so you definitely shouldn’t just let anyone have it.

Sometimes, I feel like I’m behind and not caught up. Most of the people around me are sexually active. According to a 2011 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 12.3 percent of females in their early 20s had never had sexual contact with the opposite sex. A lot of people tell me that I could easily find a guy to have sex with and “get it over with,” but that’s not what I want to do.

Sex should be special and something that I look forward to rather than something I “have” to do. It’s not a duty or a chore; it’s sacred and special. This doesn’t mean that people who choose to have casual sex are wrong. How people choose to handle their sex lives is completely up to them, and it isn’t up to me or anyone else to judge what they do. I don’t think there is a wrong or right way to live your sexual life.

I am no longer ashamed of being a virgin. It’s empowering. When I was a little girl just learning about sex, I set a goal that I would wait for the person I was in love with, and so far I’m achieving that goal. I haven’t found the love of my life yet, but I will eventually, and it will be well worth the wait.

OPINION 9

Wednesday, December 2, 2015 goldengatexpress.org

US must institute soccer academies to achieve World Cup glory DAVID CURL

dcurl@mail.sfsu.edu

All eyes locked onto Jordan Morris after an unusual deflection gave the U.S. Men’s National Team rookie an opportunity for a debut goal. A slick touch of the ball and a cheeky nutmeg of the goalkeeper later, and the college boy turned international wunderkind was pulling off his best FIFA 16-inspired fist pump celebration of his first international goal, against bitter rival Mexico, no less.

Morris has never played a professional game in his life, because he is too busy going to classes at Stanford to sign for a team. As a die-hard supporter of the USMNT, I bear a sour taste in my mouth from seeing young stars wasted in a nation that seems determined to never compete in the beautiful game of soccer.

The juggernauts of World Cup history, such as four-time winners Germany and Italy and five-time winner Brazil, enroll their players in soccer academies as soon as they demonstrate star potential. The U.S., meanwhile, encourages the importance of balanced development as a person rather than allowing a soccer player to focus on his trade from a young age.

The U.S. must put talented young players in soccer-specific academies if they ever hope to win a World Cup. Until they wise up and do so, we are doomed to continue our legacy of underachieving against nations who have established youth soccer programs.

With the 2018 World Cup qualifying

cycle already underway, it’s time to start demanding something of the U.S. soccer player pool. Why are other countries pumping out iconic superstars in bulk while the U.S. struggles to find young talent who help their cause more than hurt it?

The United States discovers their talented players at the college level, like with Morris, or occasionally earlier if a young player makes an impact at an international youth tournament. At the world’s most famous soccer academies, such as Barcelona’s famed La Masia or Ajax’s equally praised De Toekomst, kids are recruited to join at ages as young as 7 or 8, according to a New York Times article.

From that point on, the youngsters eat, sleep and breathe soccer. They have academic classes and teachers at these academies, but the workload is much lighter to allow for plenty of training time. After a year of rigorous work, they find out if they have been invited back for another year of development, or if they’ve reached the end of their road. It sounds cruel and maybe unAmerican, but it has succeeded in breeding countless legends, including the likes of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Dennis Bergkamp.

While it breaks my heart to admit, my beloved hero and former USMNT captain Landon Donovan doesn’t hold a candle to soccer players of that caliber.

I would never say that receiving a regular high school or college education is a bad choice. That route helps soccer players learn skill sets to fall back on

Reid It and Weep is a weekly column highlighting the frequent disappointments in contemporary pop culture.

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REID CAMMACK

reidcamm@mail.sfsu.edu

’ve made a lot of questionable decisions in my lifetime. I am a 21-year-old man who goes to One Direction concerts.

I sleep in a bed covered in orange dust from off-brand Cheetos puffs, and, last weekend, I had a conversation about lasagna-like vaginas with a famous drag queen. But all of that is just water under the bridge compared to the poor decisions I made while choosing my best friends.

Last week, two of my best friends in the entire world both asked for the same thing for Christmas. They both wanted a copy of “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation,” the most recent film in Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible series.

I found this problematic for two reasons.

One, my pretentious friends only watch critically acclaimed movies that are going to be nominated for multiple Oscars, so I’m sad they broke their “quality-movies-only” rule for a Mission Impossible flick. And two, I’m mad they’re asking me to financially support a Tom-Cruise-led feature.

after their careers end. But a soccer player simply cannot maximize his potential in the U.S. youth soccer setup. Not when the competitors around the world are demonstrating how much more serious they are about improving their games.

The notion that soccer players who don’t make it as professionals live fruitless lives after retirement is a farce. Systems have been put in place to help athletes find their way in their post-soccer existence.

The Professional Footballers Association education department works with young players to find careers within soccer, such as coaching or getting their medical qualifications to become team doctors, according to a BBC article.

There is little doubt that the U.S. should be a soccer powerhouse based on their continuous success in almost every other world stage athletic event. The nation dominates the Olympics and has tallied the highest medal count for five consecutive summer games.

Morris, our golden boy, may be the exception that makes the rule. He is the first player to receive a call from

the Yanks, as the fans patriotically refer to their national team, before ever playing in a professional game since the formative years of the domestic Major League Soccer in the mid-1990s, according to an SB Nation article.

Prioritizing athletic excellence above personal growth is controversial, but the U.S. must get their athletes to commit young if they want to produce American legends and take home the illustrious World Cup trophy.

ILLUSTRATION BY REID CAMMACK

Scientology tarnishes Cruise’s star power

Besides acting and jumping on couches, Cruise is best known for being the face of the Church of Scientology. And unfortunately, Scientology and its members are the scum of the earth. And because of his heavy involvement in the church, I refuse to watch or support anything with Tom Cruise in it.

Scientology isn’t a religion; it’s a cult. In order to be involved in the church, you have to give increasing amounts of money, and once you’re in, you’re turned into a prisoner.

Members of the church aren’t allowed to leave, according to the Huffington Post, and if they do they face constant surveillance and harassment. The church also takes children away from their mothers and abuses its members.

“Going Clear,” a documentary that highlighted the immorality of Scientology and focused on Cruise’s involvement, premiered last March to rave reviews. The movie painted a comprehensive picture of what was wrong with Scientology.

Cruise was never asked questions

about the film, even though he did a press tour for “Rouge Nation” a few months later. The headline-making documentary and his involvement with the church were universally ignored during his interviews.

I’m almost sure Tom Cruise has a cyanide pill hidden in his cheek during every interview just in case he is asked about Scientology. Instead of answering, he can just die so he doesn’t actually have to admit the truth.

It’ll probably never come to that though.

I’m positive there’s someone on Cruise’s team that monitors every question and prohibits any talk about his religion, so I can’t really blame the interviewers. I can blame Cruise though. It’s cool if he wants to be involved in a violent cult – that’s his business. You do you. Be human garbage all you want. Just don’t ignore your involvement.

If Cruise wants to be a respected figure, he needs to come out with his position on the church – why he is involved in it and why he chooses to ignore the church’s

abusive nature.

It’s not like Cruise is just one minor member of the church. He is the celebrity poster child for the church. Former Scientologist and “King of Queens” star Leah Remini said Cruise was a “pillar to the church” and she had to donate $1 million to the church just to meet Cruise. She also said the church’s members mistreated Cruise’s daughter Suri and that she was written up for misbehaving at his wedding and was forced to apologize to his then-wife, Katie Holmes.

Tom Cruise isn’t alone though. Immoral celebrities are everywhere; from Sean Penn to Chris Brown to Mark Wahlberg. I’m not saying Cruise is on the same level of trash as those men, but he’s still trash that needs to be avoided. Cruise is synonymous with Scientology, so if Cruise wants to keep being a public figure, he has to address the church’s poor behavior. He has no excuse to ignore its violent tendencies. So until he explains himself and leaves the church, my friends aren’t getting what they want for Christmas.

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TYLER LEHMAN

tlehman@mail.sfsu.edu

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recieved

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DAVID CURL

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Women’s Soccer

Gators seek competitive edge with limited scholarship funds SF STATE dcurl@mail.sfsu.edu

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GRAPHIC BY EVA RODRIGUEZ SOURCE: ATHLETIC GRANTS-IN-AID CCAA COMPARISON: 2014-15

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10 sports

Wednesday, December 2, 2015 goldengatexpress.org

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uccessful programs in the fiercely competitive California Collegiate Athletic Association depend on talented scholarship athletes to take them to the top. With the lowest scholarship funding in the conference, SF State faces the challenge of competing in the CCAA every season.

The Gators ranked last in total funds among CCAA schools — excluding University of California, San Diego, which also receives Division I funding — according to data compiled by SF State Director of Athletics Charles Guthrie.

SF State distributed $294,640 in athletic scholarships to CCAA sports in 2015, according to Guthrie — more than $300,000 less than the average of the other 11 CCAA schools of a little more than $600,000.

SF State’s athletic programs continue to improve, but limited scholarship funds prevent them from taking the next step competitively, Guthrie said.

“In Division II, scholarships is the great equalizer,” Guthrie said in an email. “If you look at most of the competitive Division II programs in the country, there is a clear correlation between funding and performance.”

SF State has more than 280 student athletes, according to Guthrie, but only 150 are on any type of scholarship, which can range from small grants to full rides. Having limited monetary resources makes it difficult to entice star athletes to come to SF State, Guthrie said.

“Scholarship aid is the key to recruiting talent,” Guthrie said.

“And because SF State has limited scholarships, our coaches often cannot secure more than one or two elite athletes per team or add depth required to overcome injuries and compete over a long, grueling season.”

Each SF State coach decides the amount of aid and which players on their roster will receive money.

Women’s soccer head coach Tracy Hamm said skill level is not the only factor on which she bases her decision.

“I don’t equate the level of talent to what (the athlete’s) scholarship offer is; I actually try to look at their need,” Hamm said. “I really spend time trying to get to know (the players) and their families and their situation, where it’s more so based on that, as opposed to awarding them for being good athletes.”

The women’s soccer team has 32 total players, but only two athletes are on a full-tuition scholarship, according to Hamm. The women’s soccer team was allotted $29,500 this year for

scholarship funds, ranking last in the CCAA. Men’s basketball head coach Paul Trevor said it can be a struggle to build a Division II championship program at SF State because of the high cost of living in San Francisco.

“It hurts your recruiting pool,” Trevor said. “You’re focusing on kids who can either afford it or get a lot of financial aid. You have to find a unique kid who really wants to be there, because they might have to sacrifice some money to be part of our program.”

The men’s basketball team received $42,000 this year to use for scholarships, which was the lowest total in the CCAA by a little less than $28,000.

Despite working with less money than competing conference schools, Trevor said he never uses money as an excuse for poor performances by his team.

“We work as hard as everybody else, if not harder,” Trevor said.

“We might have to do things better to achieve our goals because we’re not quite as talented, but it’s never a crutch. You’ll never hear us say, ‘Oh, we’re just not good enough.’ No, we’re going to fight. I’m going to fight. Even without money, we never stop fighting.”

President Leslie E. Wong announced in an email Nov. 19 that the University will not be partnering with PepsiCo Inc. or Coca Cola Co., a decision that he said would impact the state of scholarship funding.

“This decision will mean the loss of potential funding for student programs, scholarships and athletics,” Wong said, who stressed that he is looking for alternative methods of funding those programs.

SF State managed to succeed in athletics this fall, despite having the lowest amount of money to spend on scholarships. The women’s volleyball team qualified for the CCAA playoff tournament, and the men’s soccer team finished with their first backto-back winning seasons in 35 years.

Guthrie said he is pleased with the improvement of the SF State athletics program but added that additional funding could be the key to taking the next step to being an elite school.

“With a small investment in the grand scheme of things we can turn this program into one of the dominant programs in Division II, quickly,” Guthrie said. “This is not a 10-year process. Overnight it could generate another level of excellence, excitement, put us on the map and let the region see our great academic programs.”

sports 11

Wednesday, December 2, 2015 goldengatexpress.org

Aussie finds home in the Swamp

S

DAVID HENRY / XPRESS

FOCUS: SF State Gators forward Damien Rance (44) prepares to shoot a free throw in a game against the Holy Names Hawks at The Swamp Gymnasium Tuesday, Nov. 24.

wapping the crocodiles of Australia for the Gators of SF State has proven to be a good decision for standout forward Damien Rance.

The Gators are undefeated through their first five games, but perhaps more important for the freshman economics major is the realization of a basketball dream that began in his hometown of Melbourne, Australia.

“I started playing when I was 7,” Rance said. “I was playing Australian football as well, and I kind of had to decide on which one I really wanted to pursue. I chose basketball just because I fell in love with it.”

Rance left Melbourne and traveled to the U.S. by himself after his sophomore year of high school. Before he committed to playing for SF State, Rance played his last two years of high school basketball at Pope John XXIII Regional High School in New Jersey.

According to head men’s basketball coach Paul Trevor, after high school, lower-level Division I teams on the East Coast were recruiting Rance, but he chose to commit to SF State.

“We were in pretty hard on him, so that was the major reason why we were lucky to get a guy at his caliber,” Trevor said.

A large part of Rance’s commitment to SF State was because of his longstanding relationship with the Gators

JESSE SAETEURN essej@mail.sfsu.edu

third-year assistant coach Vince Inglima. The two met when Rance was 13 and Inglima was playing professional basketball in Australia.

“I had a prior relationship with coach Inglima, so he was out in Australia playing

“

It’s been awesome. My teammates are a great bunch of guys. They’re like brothers to me.

”

-damien rance

professional basketball and he coached me at some point,” Rance said. “We kept in contact, and I came out to San Francisco for a visit.”

According to Inglima, it’s a story that a lot of the athletic community doesn’t know about.

“I coached at a sports academy that he attended,” Inglima said. “I was able to watch his development for three years or so, and we stayed connected over the years. He went out to New Jersey, and we stayed connected through social media. It ended up working pretty well, and we were able to get him out here, and he enjoys SF State and the City.”

Inglima said that his first impression of Rance was that he had a lot of potential.

“Back when he was 13, he

had great footwork and was very disciplined,” Inglima said. “His understanding of the game, even at a young age, was really high.”

Rance has already made significant contributions for the undefeated Gators through the first four games of the season, according to Trevor and Inglima. The player is averaging seven points per game in 15.5 minutes of playing time, while shooting 61.1 percent.

“He has done a good job of adjusting to the speed of the game, but he has done a better job of being a good teammate,” Trevor said. “He and his teammates get along very well, and they really enjoy him.”

Rance said his teammates welcomed him with open arms, and now they are like family to him.

“It’s been awesome,” Rance said. “My teammates are a great bunch of guys.

They’re like brothers to me.”

Rance also said the close relationship with his teammates sparks friendly jokes.

“All the time, they’re always trying to put on the accent and all that stuff, but I give it back to them,” he said.

“It’s always cool and fun with them. It’s a close group.”

As for his future plans, Rance said he hopes to continue playing basketball after SF State.

“I’m trying to play professionally, hopefully in Europe,” Rance said.